News Release

Cape Hatteras National Seashore provides update on September 20 house collapse cleanup efforts

Cape Hatteras National Seashore employee cuts large house piling with a chainsaw.

NPS

News Release Date: September 23, 2024

Contact: Mike Barber, 252-475-9032

MANTEO, N.C. — Following the September 20 collapse of two houses on G A Kohler Court in Rodanthe, Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore) employees have supplemented contractor cleanup efforts. Additionally, the owner of 23001 G A Kohler Court, some of his family and many visitors and community members have significantly contributed to the cleanup.

Review of recent house collapses and cleanup updates

• On Friday, September 20, Seashore law enforcement rangers responded to an early morning, unoccupied house collapse at 23001 G A Kohler Court in Rodanthe, North Carolina. A house at 23009 G A Kohler Court—located immediately to the south of 23001 G A Kohler Court—sustained damages as a result of the early morning collapse.

• Seashore law enforcement rangers responded to the collapse of the house at 23009 G A Kohler Court shortly after 9:15 p.m. September 20. The collapse of this house reportedly caused damages to a house at 23039 G A Kohler Court, which is slated to be preemptively removed—if possible—by a contractor hired by homeowner. Elevated tides and other factors have delayed the preemptive removal of the house at 23039 G A Kohler Court.

• Prior to cleanup efforts, varying levels of debris had been observed to the south of the house collapse sites for more than 20 miles.

• Since the first house collapse on September 20, Seashore employees have supplemented contractor cleanup efforts by hand collecting and forming many piles of debris above the high tide line, followed by removing more than 24 National Park Service pickup truckloads of debris—collected along 16 miles of beach—to an off-site staging area over the past two days. Seashore employees also used chainsaws to cut seven large house pilings into manageable pieces for contractor removal.

• The debris removal contractor and Seashore employees will continue to perform cleanup activities this week. There isn’t a timetable for restoration of the beach, due to the potential for additional debris to wash ashore or become exposed as the sand shifts.

Learn more about the threatened oceanfront structures that border the Seashore at: go.nps.gov/cahatos.

Staging area containing contractor and Cape Hatteras National Seashore employee collected house collapse debris.

NPS