Two unoccupied North Carolina beach houses on the seashore of Rodanthe, N.C. collapse into ocean in one day–
The following written content by Shannon Larson
Two unoccupied homes on the seashore of Rodanthe, N.C., collapsed into the ocean on Tuesday — and officials warned that more may follow “in the near future.”
The Outer Banks is currently experiencing beach erosion and overwash resulting from a nor’easter along the coast, WCNC Charlotte reported, raising the possibility of additional houses giving way as the area continues to feel the impact of the storm.
Reports of the collapsed houses were confirmed by the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The organization posted a video of the second collapse, which shows the stilts of the home first breaking apart and then the remaining structure being carried away by the waves.
And this isn’t the first time a house has fallen apart in the area.
This past February, a home also collapsed in Rodanthe — and the debris from that house “spread across many miles of beach” before a cleanup event could be organized to remove it, according to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Those cleanup efforts continue.
“Unfortunately, there may be more houses that collapse onto Seashore beaches in the near future,” David Hallac, the superintendent of the National Parks of Eastern North Carolina, said in a statement. “We proactively reached out to homeowners along Ocean Drive in Rodanthe after the first house collapse and recommended that actions be taken to prevent collapse and impacts to Cape Hatteras National Seashore.”
The beach has been closed along Ocean Drive – where the houses were located – in order to protect the public from hazards associated with the collapsed homes and because of the looming threat of more following suit, according to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Jenni Koontz, a photographer who has been documenting the first house for several months, told 3WTKR that while the situation is “overwhelming and dramatic,” it comes with “living here on the sandbar.”
“You know, it’s shifting sand, and it’s bound to happen. So, it’s not really shocking that it’s happening, but it is shocking to watch,” she said. “There’s a lot of swell and wind, and it’s gotten higher each day of this Nor’easter.” Read more from B.G.
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