Another unoccupied house in Buxton, North Carolina fell victim to the Atlantic Ocean’s pounding surf on the night of Oct. 1, bringing the count to seven collapsed homes within about 30 hours.
Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda made a mess of the Atlantic Ocean in the coastal waters off North Carolina’s Outer Banks, bringing swells and high seas, and the conditions could linger for a few more days, according to the National Weather Service.
Five of the unoccupied houses collapsed between 2 to 2:45 p.m. on Sept. 30, along Cape Hatteras National Seashore as a high tide pounded the beach and washed over dunes, the National Park Service said. Another unoccupied house collapsed that evening at 11 p.m. The National Weather Service estimated the surf height on Sept. 30 at 8 to 12 feet.
The seventh house collapsed on Oct. 1, around 8 p.m., the seashore announced.
See past storm damage as Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda cause flooding on the Outer Banks
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This house at 46007 Cottage Avenue in Buxton, North Carolina is one of five that collapsed within 45 minutes on the afternoon of Sept. 30, according to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, as rough seas from two hurricanes pounded away at beaches along portions of the Outer Banks.
Where and when did the houses collapse?
Sept. 30, 2-2:45 p.m.
This house at 46007 Cottage Avenue in Buxton, North Carolina, is one of five that collapsed within 45 minutes on the afternoon of Sept. 30, according to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, as rough seas from two hurricanes pounded away at beaches along portions of the Outer Banks.
Sept. 30, 11 p.m.
Oct. 1, 8 p.m.
A changing seashore
The latest collapse brings the total number of homes that have been lost to the ocean since May 2020 to 19, as the Outer Banks grapples with questions about communities built along the coast on a barrier island subject to some of nature’s most dynamic forces.
Shorelines change rapidly along the 75 miles of beach included within the national seashore, the park service wrote in a report to Congress in late 2024. However, erosion has accelerated in recent years, with the shoreline retreating at a rate of roughly 4 feet per year, according to the report.
Some of the homes now collapsing were once several lots back from the beach, local residents told USA TODAY.
Sea level rise also takes a toll. Federal projections indicate sea level rise in the region could rise as much as 14 inches by 2050, bringing a ten-fold increase in the number of coastal flooding days.
It’s everywhere: Sea-level rise’s surprising reach damaging more than East Coast shoreline
It’s not only hurricanes that can batter the seashore and move incredible volumes of water and sand. Winter Nor’easters can wreak similar damage. Of the total collapsed houses, one fell in February 2022 and another succumbed in March 2023.
Removing collapsed home debris from the beach can take weeks or even months, the park service reported.
Years of tumultuous discussion and research have taken place in communities along the Outer Banks, as property owners, as well as officials at the local, state and federal government level have explored and debated how to preserve the lone highway that stretches along the Outer Banks, homes, local economies and the seashore itself.
While houses have been collapsing in Buxton and Rodanthe, eventually erosion and receding beaches in “many other villages” is likely to leave more oceanfront structures threatened along the scenic highway, the park service concluded.
In 2023, the national seashore bought two of the threatened properties within its boundaries for market value, with assistance and funding from the National Park Trust and Land and Water Conservation Fund. The homes were then removed. The seashore said the project would help assist property owners who did not have viable options to move the structures or promptly removed debris if they collapsed, and help restore the beach and provide public beach access.
Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers climate change, wildlife and the environment. Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricanes Humberto, Imelda blamed for 7 home collapses in NC