Five-bedroom home collapses into ocean on Outer Banks, spreading debris along beaches
A five-bedroom home on the Outer Banks has collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean and parts of it are showing up on beaches as far as 15 miles away, according to the National Park Service.
The growing debris field has created a safety hazard on both the beaches and in the water, officials said.
“Sections of the collapsed house and its associated debris have been observed in the surf line and hundreds of meters out from the surf,” Cape Hatteras National Seashore said in a Feb. 11 update.
“Surfers and mariners should use caution in these areas. Wood debris that washes up on the beach might contain sharp, exposed nails which could cause harm to pedestrians and damage to vehicle tires.”
A photo shared by the park service shows the first floor of the two-story home at 24183 Ocean Drive was flattened in the collapse, and the timbers were settling at the high tide line on beaches. It had a market value of $328,900, according to Trulia.
The bulk of the debris is between the villages of Rodanthe and Salvo, the park said in a news release. The beach near the home has been closed off, and short term closures are expected to the south as clean up efforts continue, officials said.
The rental home collapsed overnight and Cape Hatters National Seashore officials were notified around 7 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9. It was vacant at the time due to compromised pilings.
Many beachfront homes along the Outer Banks are at risk of collapsing due to erosion.
Park rangers are working with Dare County officials on a plan to remove what’s left of the home and clean up the debris on beaches, officials said.
W.M. Dunn Construction of Powells Point, N.C., has been hired by the property owner to remove what remains of the home and surrounding debris, officials said.
Trulia reports the home was 1,960 square feet and sat on .25 of an acre. It was built in 1980 as part of the Trade Winds Beaches community, the site reports.
Shorelines along the Outer Banks are known to shift on a constant basis.
In 2020, Cape Lookout National Seashore (south of Cape Hatteras) reported it would have to move a series of cabins in the Long Point area, because the site was crumbling into the ocean.
“Twenty years ago, there was over 300 (feet) of beach and dunes between the cabins and high tide. Today, there is 48 (feet) of flat sand,” park officials said.
“Extreme tides wash under the cabins, and through the camp ... The NPS is not looking to do away with the cabins, but is looking at a better place to locate them that might last, and is better protected.”
This story was originally published February 9, 2022 at 11:40 AM with the headline "Five-bedroom home collapses into ocean on Outer Banks, spreading debris along beaches."