OUTER BANKS, N.C. — At least five homes in Buxton collapsed into the water on Tuesday, bringing the total of fallen Hatteras Island homes to 17 since 2020.
The Cape Hatteras National Seashore confirmed Tuesday afternoon that five unoccupied oceanfront homes collapsed in Buxton between 2 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. There are no reported injuries at this time.
The seashores says it has 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.
Visitors should avoid the closed areas and the collapsed houses, as "very hazardous conditions" are expected to continue for the next 24 hours, the seashore says. Dangerous debris may appear south of the homes for miles.
Watch: Video shows aftermath of Buxton home collapses
News 3's Will Thomas is in Buxton Tuesday afternoon, working to learn if more homes are wiped out by the rough surf.
More collapses are expected due to the rough surf, the seashore says.
Here is a list of the houses that collapsed as of Tuesday afternoon:
- 46001 Cottage Avenue
- 46002 Cottage Avenue
- 46007 Cottage Avenue
- 46209 Tower Circle Road
- 46211 Tower Circle Road
News 3 Meteorologist Tony Nargi says the Outer Banks are seeing very rough surf thanks to Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda offshore, with heights of 6 to 12 feet and NE wind gusts between 35 and 45 mph. These winds and high surf will lead to coastal erosion, and overwash is expected in vulnerable areas of the dune. A Coastal Flood Warning is in effect from Rodanthe and points south for 2 to 3 feet of coastal floodwater inundation.
This comes two weeks after another Buxton home was claimed by the ocean. The home was owned by the family of Bonnie Clarke Lattimore, who tells News 3 the family had conversations of moving it two years ago. They recently started the process to move it after Hurricane Erin, but time wasn't on their side before the ultimate collapse of "Dream House One."
“The amount of people and love and memories of those house... I feel like someone died. You can hear it in my like emotions. I've been really struggling this past week with it all," said Lattimore.
Before the recent Buxton collapses, all of the homes that have fallen into the ocean since 2020 have been located in Rodanthe.
The collapses have sparked discussions about how to protect threatened oceanfront structures. One solution that's been underway includes moving homes further away from the water, but community members and officials are still working to take other preventative measures.
