News Release

Updates on August 16 house collapse and information on beach conditions at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Rodanthe and Buxton

Photo taken Aug. 18, 2024, showing broken concrete and other debris along the oceanfront near the north end of Rodanthe.

NPS

News Release Date: August 18, 2024

Contact: Mike Barber, 252-475-9032

MANTEO, N.C. — Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore) provides the following updates on the Aug. 16, 2024, house collapse and information about Seashore beach conditions in Rodanthe and Buxton.

Rodanthe
The Seashore team has coordinated with the owner of the house that collapsed on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, at 23214 Corbina Drive in Rodanthe. The Seashore and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge have permitted cleanup activities which started yesterday around 1 p.m. Debris from the collapsed home has been observed up to approximately eleven miles north of the home collapse site. The beach remains closed from Mirlo Beach to the parking lot on the north end of the Jug Handle Bridge. Cleanup activities will continue over the coming days.

Substantial damage has also occurred to several other threatened oceanfront structures in northern Rodanthe between the G.A. Kohler Drive area and the north end of Mirlo Beach. Visitors should avoid the beach in these areas due to the presence of hazardous debris.

The Seashore is communicating with Dare County and conducting a detailed assessment of debris and hazards associated with damaged structures in Rodanthe. Coordination will occur between house owners, rental property management companies, and the Seashore once elevated surf conditions subside, and the full extent of damage is known.

Buxton
Ongoing erosion and elevated surf conditions in front of the Village of Buxton has resulted in ocean overwash under many homes and into neighborhoods. Hazardous debris, broken from beachfront houses, may be present on the beach and in the water. Seashore staff have observed evidence of compromised septic systems; therefore, the Seashore is advising that the public should not go in the water until follow up inspections are made.

All areas of the Seashore
There is a high risk of rip currents, hazardous shore break, and rough ocean conditions. Visitors should stay out of the water to avoid these life-threatening, hazardous ocean conditions.