BUXTON, N.C. — This week, six vacant houses along North Carolina’s Outer Banks have tumbled into the Atlantic Ocean as powerful waves, driven by distant Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda, relentlessly battered the coastline.
According to the AP, Tuesday afternoon, five homes in Buxton succumbed to the surf, with a sixth collapsing overnight, as reported by the National Park Service. Fortunately, no injuries were reported; however, the destruction has resulted in debris clogging Cape Hatteras National Seashore, leading to safety warnings and access restrictions.
Dramatic video footage captured the homes precariously balanced on stilts before being engulfed by the unyielding waves. The National Park Service cautioned that further collapses could occur and advised visitors to steer clear of the affected areas.
The storm surge also necessitated the closure of a section of North Carolina Highway 12 on nearby Ocracoke Island and halted ferry services between Ocracoke and Hatteras.
Erosion continues to pose a threat to this fragile stretch of coastline, characterized by low-lying barrier islands. Since 2020, 18 homes have fallen on the Seashore’s beaches—11 in Rodanthe and now seven in Buxton, including one that collapsed just two weeks ago.
Officials are warning that the risk is increasing. Dare County’s planning director, Noah Gillam, pointed out that the most recent homes to collapse were among 35 already deemed uninhabitable since Hurricane Erin passed offshore in late August.
A coastal risk report for 2024 estimates that 750 of nearly 8,800 oceanfront homes in North Carolina are at risk due to erosion. Mitigation strategies—such as beach nourishment or home buyouts—are still expensive and politically challenging.
Although Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda are currently far offshore, the National Weather Service has issued coastal flood warnings and cautioned about hazardous surf conditions throughout the week..
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