Another One Bites the Sand: Outer Banks Home Collapses into Surf

“The erosion in Buxton has significantly increased in the past couple of years,” Dare County Planning Director Noah Gillman told The AP. “And that continued increased erosion, compiled with the effects of Hurricane Erin, got us to the point we are today.”

There were no injuries, and the home was unoccupied. Staff from the Cape Hatteras National Seashore preserve and a private contractor hired by the homeowner are reportedly cleaning up the debris. While this property was at the North end of Hatteras Island, about a mile from the famed lighthouse, the last 11 home collapses were all in Rodanthe, located 25 minutes up the cape.

Gillman told The AP that this home was one of almost 36 structures that had been “ decertified for occupancy” when Hurricane Erin approached the coast in late August. The properties were reg-tagged because of the damage to the septic system and external stairs, Gillman said. 

If you want to get a sense of what a hurricane does to a vulnerable sandy shoreline, I highly recommend watching North Carolina’s perennial standout Bretty Barley breakdown below. He provides context for the challenges posed by the elements. 

“Yeah, we got worked,” Bretty said. “I live on a barrier island, mostly made of sand. This is part of life here. It wasn’t always this way. There are lots of reasons why we’re at the place we’re at now. Partially because North Carolina is the only state on the coast that has a ban on hardened structures, so we can’t build jetties or groins or anything else that might sure up sand…like anywhere else on the coast. Also, Cape Hatteras – specifically Buxton – has only had two beach nourishment projects in the last 50 years. So, the entire East Coast would look like the Outer Banks does if they were forced to do what we’re forced to do.”