Destruction continues as 11th Outer Banks home falls into ocean, NC park says

Houses are continuing to fall at a record rate on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, with the 11th since mid-September collapsing overnight, Cape Hatteras National Seashore reports.

It happened around 7:45 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, and the home was at 46006 Cottage Avenue in Buxton, the park reported. It was unoccupied at the time, officials said.

Weather conditions at the time included a flood advisory, with predictions of large ocean swells and hours of overwash, the National Weather Service says.

The cottage was built in 1956, valued at around $500,000, and the current homeowner purchased it in May, Zillow.com reports.

It is the fourth to fall since Sept. 30 on Cottage Avenue, data shows. The other seven this year were on G.A. Kohler Court in Rodanthe and Tower Circle Road in Buxton, officials said.

In all, 22 homes have collapsed in the area since 2020, the National Park Service says.

Dozens more remain vulnerable in both towns, resulting in the National Park Service closing two sections of beach for safety reasons.

Coastal erosion and sea level rise are driving the crisis, which involves “elevated beach-style homes situated on piling,” park officials say.

“During severe weather events, which the Outer Banks of North Carolina experiences throughout the year, privately-owned oceanfront houses in vulnerable areas get battered by strong winds and large waves, leading to the collapse,” park officials says.

It is common for the nail-filled debris to drift for miles and wash ashore on National Park Service beaches.

This story was originally published October 19, 2025 at 8:44 AM with the headline "Destruction continues as 11th Outer Banks home falls into ocean, NC park says."