Six empty houses along North Carolina’s Outer Banks have tumbled into the ocean as Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda churn in the Atlantic. The homes, all unoccupied, collapsed in Buxton, a small community on the barrier islands, as rising sea levels continue to wear away at the coastline.
On Tuesday afternoon, five houses that stood on high stilts were swallowed by the waves, according to Mike Barber, spokesperson for the National Park Service. Another house fell overnight, the Park Service reported. Luckily, no injuries were reported.
Video footage shared by local news showed the houses swaying on their stilts, battered by strong waves, before finally crashing into the surf. The debris scattered across the beach, including wood fragments and furniture, creating a hazard for visitors. Officials warned people to stay clear of the area, which stretches for miles south of the collapse sites.
These collapses come as part of a troubling pattern. Since 2020, 18 privately owned homes along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore have disappeared into the water. The first 11 were farther north in Rodanthe, with the most recent incident in Buxton occurring just weeks ago.
The storms are making the situation worse. Although both hurricanes stayed offshore, their impact stirred waves strong enough to accelerate erosion. The National Weather Service issued flood advisories and warned of dangerous surf along North Carolina’s coast, where the land is low and narrow, making it especially vulnerable.
The state’s transportation department also responded to the rising water by closing part of Highway 12 on Ocracoke Island and suspending the ferry service between Ocracoke and Hatteras islands.
The damage has local officials concerned. Noah Gillam, Dare County’s planning director, noted that 35 buildings near the coast have been declared unsafe to live in since late August because of erosion damage linked to storms like Hurricane Erin.
A recent 2024 report highlighted that out of nearly 8,800 oceanfront buildings in North Carolina, 750 are at risk from erosion. Solutions such as adding sand or rock to eroding beaches or buying out and tearing down or moving threatened homes have been suggested. However, these options come with high costs and challenges.
As sea levels keep rising and storms continue to churn offshore, the fragile barrier islands of North Carolina face ongoing threats. For now, residents and visitors are urged to heed warnings and stay away from damaged areas to stay safe.