12th Outer Banks beach house collapses into the surf
Latest stilt home falls as Outer Banks coastline remains fragile and vulnerable to erosion
BUXTON, N.C. — A beachfront stilt home along the Outer Banks collapsed into the surf Tuesday afternoon, the 12th such loss along the North Carolina coast in five years, The Associated Press reported.
The two-story, wood-shingled house at the north end of Hatteras Island was unoccupied at the time, according to Cape Hatteras National Seashore spokesman Mike Barber. Seashore staff are out today, cleaning up the beach to the south of the collapse site, Barber said in an email Wednesday.
The collapse extends a five-year pattern in which the Atlantic has claimed 12 homes along the Outer Banks since May 2020; 11 of the prior losses occurred in Rodanthe, the eastern end of North Carolina. During the approach of Hurricane Erin, locals watched two beachfront houses in Rodanthe but they survived.
The house that fell Tuesday was less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which was moved 2,900 feet (884 meters) inland in 1999 to shield it from erosion.
Officials describe the Outer Banks coastline as fragile, and the ongoing string of collapses underscores the vulnerability of dune systems and beachfront properties along the barrier island.