OUTER BANKS, N.C. — A Buxton oceanfront home collapsed into the sea late Tuesday, forcing temporary beach closures at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. This is the 32nd house to collapse on Hatteras Island since 2020.
The unoccupied home at 46000 Ocean Drive collapsed overnight, scattering hazardous debris along the beach south of the collapse site toward the Cape Point area.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore closed all beach access from the north end of Buxton through the lifeguarded beach and urged visitors to stay off the beach and out of the water from Buxton south to Cape Point until park rangers could assess the area.
The collapse was also the 20th on the Buxton oceanfront since August and the second property Dare County was in the process of purchasing and removing ahead of an upcoming beach nourishment project, WTKR's Will Thomas reported.
Dare County Manager Bobby Outten said the county ran out of time to finalize the purchase.
"We didn't get the deal done; he waited too long," Outten said.
Despite the loss, Outten said the collapse does not affect the county's timeline.
"It's fallen, the debris will be cleaned up, and we'll be able to do our beach nourishment project," Outten said. "From our perspective, we're able to move forward with our beach nourishment project, so it really doesn't have any impact on our schedule or our process going forward."
The beach nourishment project is expected to begin in mid to late June. Outten also said bids for a jetty repair project are set to be opened June 8, with the county board meeting June 9 to consider approval.
"If the board approves the bid, then we'll give the contractor the award on the 10th, and then they can start as quickly as they can get," Outten said.
Neighbors and Cape Hatteras National Seashore staff spent Wednesday morning collecting debris that had spread from the southernmost jetty to Cape Point, hauling it to a staging area near the old lighthouse site by midday.
RELATED: 5 Buxton homes collapse in a day amid strong onshore winds on the Outer Banks
North Carolina Beach Buggy Association Vice President Dan Rothermel was among those who helped.
"From the jetty here all the way south to the tip to the point where the two currents come together, there was a considerable amount of debris, debris everywhere," Rothermel said.
Rothermel credited the tight-knit community for the swift response.
"When you have a bunch of like-minded people that love the island, it's easy to get them motivated and to do stuff for the island," Rothermel said.
For longtime residents, the loss was painful even if expected. Buxton Civic Association member Jeff Dawson, whose family has deep roots in the community, said the anxiety isn't over.
"Every time the wind picks up, we all have to hold our breath. There's nothing you can do about it until they repair the jetty or put some stabilization in; it's just going to keep exponentially getting worse," Dawson said.
Fellow Civic Association member Brian Harris echoed that sentiment.
"It's hard to celebrate anything right now. We do got a lot of great things coming, but 20 people have lost their livelihoods. How many residents, how many visitors is that a week?" Harris said.
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