6th House Collapse Into Atlantic Ocean Along North Carolina’s Coast

Another house has collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean along the coast of North Carolina, marking the sixth such incident along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s beaches in the last four years, according to officials from the U.S. National Park Service.

Following the collapse, approximately one mile of the beach along Ocean Drive in Rodanthe on the Outer Banks was closed. The national seashore advised visitors to steer clear of beaches north of Sea Haven Drive to the southern portion of Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, as there could be dangerous debris on the beach and in the water during the cleanup process.

National seashore workers removed numerous truckloads of debris to a nearby parking lot on Tuesday. On Wednesday, members of the public were encouraged to assist employees and a contractor hired by the house’s owner, which was unoccupied at the time of its collapse.

North Carolina’s coastline consists primarily of narrow, low-lying barrier islands that are increasingly susceptible to storm surges and erosion from both the bay and the sea due to global warming. As sea levels continue to rise, these islands tend to migrate toward the mainland, making it challenging to maintain properties in their original locations.