Coastal Community Devastated as Ocean Claims 7th House in Just 48 Hours

Another home collapsed into the Atlantic on Wednesday night.

It brings the total to seven beachfront houses lost in just two days on Hatteras Islands in the Outer Banks. 

The 2,188-square-foot residence located at 46207 Tower Circle Road in Buxton, North Carolina collapsed on Wednesday at 8 PM, approximately five hours after the high tide passed. The event was initially reported by the Island Free Press.

More homes nearby are at risk and are expected to topple into the sea on Thursday and Friday.  

A day earlier, six additional oceanfront homes were swept away into the sea as turbulent waters from offshore hurricanes battered the Outer Banks of North Carolina during high tide.

Situated on stilts in Buxton on Hatteras Island, the homes collapsed sequentially as waves measuring six to twelve feet from Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda struck the coastline.

Five fell in under an hour just after 2pm and a sixth toppled just before midnight, locals said. They were condemned back in 2023, and though once valued at around $400,000 each, the homes had lost all their worth by the time they toppled.

The destruction brings the total number of Hatteras Island homes lost to the sea to 19 since 2020.

 ‘It’s awful,’ Buxton Civic Association’s Heather Jennette told the Daily Mail.

‘It’s very sad. What’s more sad is that North Carolina is the only state with laws restricting the ability to try and help strengthen our coast.

‘We have known this would happen without increased stabilization.

‘We were all hoping we might get through this fall and winter, as there is a plan in place for repair of one jetty out of three and another round of beach nourishment.

The beach in Buxton remains closed to the public due to piles of hazardous debris, including wood, nails and glass along the shoreline. 

Dare County announced that its debris removal contractor will evaluate the area once conditions improve. 

The seven collapses bring the total number of oceanfront homes losses to eight within the past two weeks. 

In total, there have been 19 oceanfront home collapses on Hatteras Island since 2020. 

No injuries were reported, and no one was living in the homes, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore said in a post on social media.

Locals were warned to stay away from the area. 

‘We’re going to need some help when it’s over,’ Jennette said.

The Outer Banks became famous as a result of the hit Netflix show named after it.

The area juts farther into the ocean than any other part of the Tar Heel State, making it especially vulnerable to the sea.

Experts say it is no surprise that these homes are on the edge of collapse.

While the homes were built about 50 to 60 years ago 200 feet from the sea, the beaches have been eroded by storms.