Oceanfront home collapses in Rodanthe

An oceanfront home at 23228 East Point Drive in Rodanthe collapsed at approximately noon on Monday, March 13.

The home was unoccupied at the time of the collapse, and power was cut off to the structure in May 2022. Debris extending past the Rodanthe Pier was reported on Monday afternoon, and the public is advised to avoid the area due to safety concerns.

The one-story structure was built in 1976, and had three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, per Dare County tax records.

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore is aware of the collapse, and plans are underway to address the cleanup of debris.

“The bulk of the debris is at the site of the collapsed house [and the] Seashore is communicating with the owner of the house to coordinate the removal of the house and all related debris on the beach,” stated the National Seashore in a press release. “Visitors should use caution when participating in recreational activities on the beach and in the ocean near East Point Drive in Rodanthe.”

This is the fourth oceanfront home in Rodanthe to collapse in a little over a year. On May 10, 2022, two unoccupied homes on Ocean Drive, (which is approximately 1.5 miles south of East Point Drive), collapsed within a 12-hour period. 

In February 2022 and May 2020, two additional Rodanthe homes in the Ocean Drive vicinity also collapsed into the ocean, resulting in a large debris field along the northern Hatteras Island shoreline.

Multiple meetings have been held in the past year regarding these home collapses, and the other homes in danger along the oceanfront.

In August 2022, National Parks of Eastern N.C. Superintendent David Hallac provided updates on the problematic homes in Rodanthe, as well as the ongoing clean-up efforts following the February and May 2022 collapses.

In January 2023, Dare County officials hosted a public meeting on the likelihood of a Rodanthe beach nourishment project, where County Manager Bobby Outten presented an overview of the logistics and funding models that made previous beach nourishment projects possible in the past, and explained why a Rodanthe project was more of a challenge, due mainly to funding concerns.

Most recently, the topic was discussed by the Threatened Oceanfront Interagency Work Group, which met virtually on Feb. 27, 2023. The group was formed in August 2022 to identify, research, and recommend ways to establish a coordinated approach to erosion-threatened structures, and includes representatives from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

The elevated surf which contributed to Monday’s home collapse is expected to continue through the middle of the week, with large breaking waves of 5 to 9 feet in the surf zone, (especially north of Cape Hatteras), and widespread wind gusts of 35-40 mph. For more information on the local forecast and current advisories, click here or visit www.weather.gov/mhx.

The Island Free Press will continue to post updates as soon as they become available, which includes any community cleanup events that may require volunteers.

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