Officials with the National Park Service (NPS) are urging visitors to stay away from an area of Cape Hatteras National Seashore following another house collapse on the Outer Banks.
Cape Hatteras sits on a chain of islands off the coast of North Carolina. The area has gone viral in recent years due to multiple homes collapsing into the ocean. The issue is a result of erosion and the changing tides along the Outer Banks.
The most recent house collapse involved an unoccupied home at 46227 Tower Circle Road in the town of Buxton. Not far from there, the NPS has already issued a beach safety closure. Visitors are now being told to avoid the north end of Rodanthe entirely. Concerns include unstable homes and debris from the homes that are now smashed into the surf.
The home on Tower Circle Road is the twelfth privately owned home in the area to collapse since 2020.
Homes Collapsing in the Outer Banks
The ongoing issue is due to a mix of natural elements. It has negatively impacted both people and the wildlife in the area.
“The daily effects of winds, waves, and tides, along with rising seas and storms, have played a part in contributing to coastal erosion impacts at Cape Hatteras National Seashore,” the NPS posted on its website. “The effects of erosion in these villages have resulted in structures being present on the open beachfront or in the intertidal area which may result in reduced beach access and safety for visitors, a loss of habitat for shorebirds and sea turtles, and, sometimes, structure collapses on Seashore beaches, resulting in many miles of beach debris.”
Recent studies show rising sea levels are also a factor impacting coastlines. It can be particularly damaging to places like the Outer Banks that are made up of narrow barrier islands.