UPDATE: Cleanup underway for oceanfront home collapse in Rodanthe; one-mile section of shoreline closed

Video by Brad Hanson

Clean-up efforts are in progress for a home at the end of Ocean Drive in Rodanthe that fell into the ocean at approximately 2:35 a.m. on Tuesday, May 28.

A one-mile section of beach is closed from Sea Haven Drive to South Shore Drive in the immediate area, according to a Tuesday morning update from the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS).

Due to the direction that the debris is expected to drift, visitors are urged to avoid the beaches north of Sea Haven Drive into the southern portion of Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Dangerous debris may be present on the beach and in the water, and additional beach closures may be necessary as the debris spreads and cleanup efforts proceed.

A debris removal contractor has been hired by the property owner to assist with the efforts.

The home was built in 1970 and was a 1,728-square-foot residence with five bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. The home was uninhabitable and had not been occupied for at least two years, according to local residents, although it had formerly been in the Outer Beaches Realty vacation rental program.

The structure was located along an approximately .3-mile-long section of shoreline that has been subjected to erosion and periods of ocean overwash for the past several months.

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) issued a public advisory on May 16, urging visitors to avoid this small region of Rodanthe Beach near Ocean Drive due to exposed wires, septic systems, and other debris. The home, located at 24131 Ocean Drive, had been leaning for at least a week, per area residents.

This is the sixth oceanfront home in Rodanthe to collapse in the past four years.

In March 2023, an adjacent oceanfront home collapsed at 23228 East Point Drive in Rodanthe.

On May 10, 2022, two unoccupied homes, also located on Ocean 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. All of these home collapses resulted in a large debris field on Hatteras Island, which was addressed and cleaned up by the National Park Service, local volunteers, and/or contractors enlisted by the homeowners themselves.

The National Park Service will be working with the homeowner to address the ongoing clean-up efforts. CHNS anticipates the arrival of a debris removal contractor, hired by the property owner, to arrive this afternoon.

This is a developing story, and the Island Free Press will post updates as they become available.