Dual hurricanes send beach homes crashing into the ocean
Nineteen beachfront homes have collapsed in Dare County, North Carolina, in the past five years
Seven beach homes collapsed into the ocean in Buxton, North Carolina, on Tuesday and Wednesday after powerful surf from Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda pounded the region.
All of the homes were unoccupied, according to local news reports, and nobody was injured in the ordeal.
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Scale-topping Hurricane Humberto and slow-moving Hurricane Imelda both remained far offshore this week, but coastal communities across the southeastern United States have dealt with intense waves from the systems.
Dangerous surf and coastal flooding caused significant issues on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The town of Buxton on Hatteras Island took the brunt of the damage, where seven beachfront homes have collapsed so far this week.
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The most recent home collapse on Oct. 1 is the nineteenth residence in the area to fall into the ocean since 2020, according to Dare County.
Beach erosion and rising sea levels have taken a significant toll on coastal communities like Buxton and nearby Rodanthe.
Based on historical satellite imagery, the coastline in this section of Buxton has eroded more than 50 metres since 1993. Most of the homes that collapsed this week were built in the 1970s and 1980s.
Header image created using graphics and imagery from Dare Co., N.C.; NOAA; and Canva.