OUTER BANKS, N.C. — Another oceanfront home has fallen in Buxton Thursday afternoon, marking the eighth home to collapse in just three days. News 3 Reporter Will Thomas was there when the house collapsed.
Six homes fell on Tuesday, with another collapsing Wednesday night, according to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Since 2020, 20 Hatteras Island homes have fallen into the water.
More collapses are possible in Buxton and Rodanthe, the seashore says — visitors are advised to avoid homes in the ocean and be cautious around debris.
Seashore officials have closed the entire oceanfront area from northern Buxton to the off-road vehicle (ORV) ramp 43. Anyone using ORV ramp 38 should avoid driving south, and those using ramp 43 should avoid heading north.
The seashore says they plan to send about two dozen staff members to Buxton Friday to clean up debris from the homes.
For the past year and a half, the Buxton Civic Association and residents have been sounding the alarm. After what we've witnessed this week, that call for action continues to be urgent.
"I've called this place home for going on 26 years, and honestly, I never would have imagined in a million years that Buxton would be in the shape that it is right now," said Wendi Munden, a member of the Buxton Civic Association, on Wednesday.
Dare County leaders walked through the devastation Wednesday morning, seeing firsthand what the area has been enduring and talking about what the cleanup plans will look like.
"It's certainly hard to see this happen, and it's not what we wanted to have happen, and I'm sure for the homeowners, it's got to be devastating. But again, all that we can do is what we can do. And we're moving just as quickly as we can to get some sand out here, to get a beach out here, to get a groin down here, to hold the sand, to do the things we've got to do to preserve the beach and maybe continue Buxton in the future, and hopefully this won't happen again," said Dare County manager Bobby Outten.
There is hope on the horizon. Beach nourishment and jetty repairs are scheduled for the area in 2026. But that feels like a lifetime away when homes are falling into the ocean today.
While the Buxton community waits, there's a shared hope that federal representatives and state elected leaders will finally understand: Buxton can't wait any longer.
“We sit way off the coast, and, yes, we're on a sand bar, but there's been people here for generations and generations. Where there's a will, there's a way. We just have to get rid of some of the red tape that prevents us from getting done what we need to do," said Ballance.
