Five Outer Banks Homes Collapse into Atlantic Ocean
On Sept. 30, 2025, five unoccupied beachfront houses in Buxton, on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, collapsed into the Atlantic as powerful swells driven by Hurricanes Imelda and Humberto battered the coast. The National Park Service’s Cape Hatteras National Seashore posted warnings about hazardous debris and said more collapses were possible; the storm-driven overwash forced a portion of North Carolina Highway 12 to close and suspended the Ocracoke–Hatteras ferry.
Environment
Public Safety
🔍 Key Facts
- Five unoccupied houses on stilts collapsed into the ocean in Buxton, Outer Banks, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025.
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore (National Park Service) urged visitors to stay away from collapse sites and warned more collapses could occur; NPS spokesperson Mike Barber is quoted in coverage.
- Operational impacts include a closed segment of NC Highway 12 on Ocracoke Island and suspension of the Ocracoke–Hatteras ferry; the Park Service says 17 privately owned houses have collapsed on Seashore beaches since 2020.