Sixth beach house collapses in North Carolina’s Outer Banks in the past 6 months

From May to November, six beach houses have crumbled in North Carolina’s Outer Banks — a troubling sign of how erosion continues to put a toll on the state’s coastal villages.

The most recent collapse occurred in the overnight hours between Thursday and Friday after a storm triggered powerful waves along Rodanthe. The house was unoccupied and officials have been in contact with the property owner, according to the National Park Service’s Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Localized ocean overwash is impacting parts of NC12 along the Outer Banks this morning. Make sure to send us any pictures or reports of coastal flooding or other impacts from this system. #ncwx pic.twitter.com/PTbnpMNt2u

— NWS Newport/Morehead (@NWSMoreheadCity) November 15, 2024

Less than a mile away, three other homes had collapsed in September. Since 2020, a total of 11 houses in the area have been swept away into the ocean.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore said the daily effects of strong winds, large waves, as well as rising sea levels — which are fueled by human-caused climate change — are causing beaches on the Outer Banks to wash away.

“Many private properties adjacent to the beach in Rodanthe, which previously contained backyard land, dunes, and dry sand, are either partially or fully covered with ocean water on a regular basis,” the Seashore said.

It’s an issue faced by coastal communities around the country, including in Cap Cod, Mass., Palm Beach, Fla., and Long Island, N.Y.

In North Carolina, more than 750 homes along the state’s beaches are considered at risk from erosion, according to an August report released by the state’s Department of Environmental Quality and Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

“So we’re looking at … several hundred structures that could be put at risk due to a major storm or a major erosion event that could happen pretty much any time,” said Tancred Miller, director of the state’s Division of Coastal Management, which helped with the report, told member station WUNC in October.

Erosion in these coastal villages impacts tourism, disrupts habitats for shorebirds and sea turtles, and when homes collapse — leaves miles of debris on beaches. The situation is expected to worsen as a result of rising sea levels and more coastal storms, the report warned.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore said local officials have alerted dozens of owners of at-risk properties, urging them to ensure the structural stability of their pilings and decks, or to relocate their beach houses if possible.