Three homes have collapsed into the ocean since Friday in Rodanthe, N.C., part of a region known as the Outer Banks, and debris has been found as far as 20 miles away.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore law enforcement rangers responded to the report of an unoccupied home at 23039 G A Kohler Court collapsing at 1:08 p.m. Tuesday.
The beach is temporarily closed from GA Kohler Court in Rodanthe to Wimble Shores North Court in Waves. The closure also includes Dare County’s Rodanthe beach access at 23731 N.C. Highway 12, according to the National Park Service.
As a result of debris in the water, swimmers are asked to stay out of the water in front of the villages of Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo. Visitors are also urged to wear hard-soled shoes when walking on the beach to avoid injuries from nail-ridden wooden debris.
An unoccupied house at 23001 G A Kohler Court in Rodanthe collapsed Friday morning. A second house, at 23009 G A Kohler Court, sustained damages when the first house collapsed and washed into the ocean at approximately 9:18 p.m. Friday night.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore employees are working with contractors on the cleanup efforts.
The daily effects of wind, waves, and tides, along with rising seas and storms, have played a part in contributing to the coastal erosion, particularly adjacent to the villages of Rodanthe and Buxton, N.C., according to the National Park Service.
Many properties that once featured dunes and dry sand are now fully covered with ocean water.
In total, 10 oceanfront homes have fallen in the last four years. In 2024, unoccupied houses on Ocean Drive and Corbina Drive, both in Rodanthe, collapsed.
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Crystal Graham
