A combination of wind and waves, as well as storms and rising sea levels, has contributed to the significant coastal erosion that is occurring along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, particularly within the villages of Rodanthe and Buxton, North Carolina. 

One of the most notable impacts of this ongoing coastal erosion and continued narrowing of the shoreline is the presence of privately owned properties—which were once located several hundred feet away from the ocean—standing precariously close to the water’s edge. 

As the shoreline continues to erode, these homes—the majority of which were constructed in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s and sat several rows back from the surf at the time they were built—end up standing on the open beachfront or within the intertidal area. This can eventually lead to structure collapses that result in a considerable amount of debris being washed away by ocean waves and ultimately strewn along the shoreline for several miles. 

In addition to causing potential hazards and safety concerns for beachgoers and reducing access for residents and visitors, the collapse of these structures and the debris that is subsequently strewn along Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches can also result in a loss of habitat for a variety of wildlife, including shorebirds and sea turtles. 

Additionally, when storms and severe weather events occur—which is a frequent occurrence on the Outer Banks—privately owned oceanfront properties that are located in vulnerable areas that have experienced significant erosion over the years are battered by strong winds and large waves, often for several days at a time. This combination of factors has led to the collapse of 27 privately owned unoccupied houses in Rodanthe and Buxton from May 29, 2020 to October 28, 2025. 

Click here for more information from the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. 

The following unoccupied homes have collapsed along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Rodanthe and Buxton in the past five years (from May 29, 2020 to October 28, 2025).

The homes that have recently collapsed are as follows: 

• Home #1: Collapsed on May 29, 2020 (23238 Sea Oats Drive in Rodanthe)

• Home #2: Collapsed on February 9, 2022 (24183 Ocean Drive in Rodanthe)

• Home #3: Collapsed on May 10, 2022 (24235 Ocean Drive in Rodanthe)

• Home #4: Collapsed on May 10, 2022 (24265 Ocean Drive in Rodanthe)

• Home #5: Collapsed on March 13, 2023 (23228 East Point Drive in Rodanthe)

• Home #6: Collapsed on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 (24131 Ocean Drive in Rodanthe)

• Home #7: Collapsed on Friday, August 16, 2024 (23214 Corbina Drive in Rodanthe)

• House #8: Collapsed on Friday, September 20, 2024 (23001 GA Kohler Court in Rodanthe)

• House #9: Collapsed on Friday, September 20, 2024 (23009 GA Kohler Court in Rodanthe)

• House #10: Collapsed on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 (23039 GA Kohler Court in Rodanthe)

• House #11: Collapsed on Friday, November 15, 2024 (23241 Surf Side Drive in Rodanthe)

• House #12: Collapsed on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 (46227 Tower Circle Road in Buxton)

• House #13: Collapsed on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 (46001 Cottage Avenue in Buxton)

• House #14: Collapsed on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 (46002 Cottage Avenue in Buxton)

• House #15: Collapsed on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 (46007 Cottage Avenue in Buxton)

• House #16: Collapsed on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 (46209 Tower Circle Road in Buxton)

• House #17: Collapsed on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 (46211 Tower Circle Road in Buxton)

• House #18: Collapsed on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 (46203 Tower Circle Road in Buxton)

• House #19: Collapsed on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 (46207 Tower Circle Road in Buxton)

• House #20: Collapsed on Thursday, October 2, 2025 (46221 Tower Circle Road in Buxton)

• House #21: Collapsed on Friday, October 3, 2025 (23047 G.A. Kohler Court in Rodanthe)

• House #22: Collapsed on Saturday, October 18, 2025 (46006 Cottage Avenue in Buxton)

• House #23: Collapsed on Wednesday, October 28, 2025 (46002 Ocean Drive in Buxton)

• House #24: Collapsed on Wednesday, October 28, 2025 (46223 Tower Circle Road in Buxton)

• House #25: Collapsed on Wednesday, October 28, 2025 (46003 Ocean Drive in Buxton)

• House #26: Collapsed on Wednesday, October 28, 2025 (46016 Cottage Avenue in Buxton)

• House #27: Collapsed on Wednesday, October 28, 2025 (46213 Tower Circle Road in Buxton)

Click here to view the Cape Hatteras National Seashore's webpage regarding threatened oceanfront structures.

*Please note that there is a roadway named “Ocean Drive” in both Buxton and Rodanthe. 

The 12 homes in Rodanthe that have collapsed as of Friday, October 3, 2025 were located along Ocean Drive, Corbina Drive, East Point Drive, Sea Oats Drive and GA Kohler Court. Four of the 12 structures that collapsed were located on Ocean Drive, and four were located on GA Kohler Court. 

Considerable damage has also occurred to several other threatened oceanfront homes located in northern Rodanthe—particularly along Seagull Street and from the northern end of the Mirlo Beach subdivision to GA Kohler Court, where two oceanfront homes collapsed on the same day (Friday, September 20, 2024) and a third oceanfront home collapsed just four days later (Tuesday, September 24, 2024).   

The 15 homes in Buxton that have collapsed as of Tuesday, October 28, 2025 were located along Tower Circle Road, Cottage Avenue and Ocean Drive. Eight of the 15 structures that collapsed were located on Tower Circle Road, five were located on Cottage Avenue, and two were located on Ocean Drive.*

*Please note that there is a roadway named “Ocean Drive” in both Buxton and Rodanthe.   

Click here to visit the Cape Hatteras National Seashore's webpage regarding threatened oceanfront structures.

Private residences that have sustained damage or are in danger of collapse must currently be relocated or demolished at the expense of the homeowner. This requires the homeowners to not only pay a company to relocate the house to another parcel, but also to purchase the property that the home will be moved to. This is an expensive endeavor that typically costs significantly more than waiting for the damaged or threatened structure to collapse, at which point the homeowner can file an insurance claim for the loss. 

Currently, FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program does not cover any costs incurred by relocating a damaged or threatened structure to another site. In addition, once a house collapses, homeowners who file a claim will receive a maximum of $250,000 for the structure itself and a maximum of $100,000 for its contents. 

Due to the high costs associated with relocating a home to another property or having it professionally demolished before it eventually collapses on its own, many homeowners are unable to afford either of these options and instead must wait for their damaged or threatened home to succumb to the sea so they can file a claim and collect insurance.

Owners of damaged or threatened structures have been strongly urged to fix issues with the structural stability of pilings and decks, as well as exposed septic tanks and wires, or to relocate the house, if possible. If owners are unable to relocate their homes, they can obtain the required permit(s) and hire a licensed contractor to have the property proactively demolished.  

If a home is not relocated or professionally demolished and it collapses, homeowners can file a claim with their insurance company to seek reimbursement. Homeowners are currently unable to collect insurance from a FEMA National Flood Insurance Program policy until the house is destroyed, and there is a maximum insurance payout of $250,000 for the structure and $100,000 for its contents once the house collapses.  

Owners of a collapsed home are also then responsible for the cost of cleaning up any resulting debris from the structure and its contents that ends up in the ocean or strewn along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Cleanup of a collapse home is not covered by insurance and is considerably more expensive than having a home demolished prior to a potential collapse.

None of the homes in Rodanthe of Buxton that collapsed between May 29, 2020 and September 30, 2025 were occupied at the time of their collapse. In order for a house to be occupied, it must have an approved septic system, which is a requirement of the North Carolina State Building Code. An approved septic system is one that the local Environmental Health office has determined to be in compliance with the State 18E rules.

If a property does not meet the requirements of the North Carolina State Building Code for a habitable structure, Dare County will tag the property to indicate that it has been declared unsafe for occupancy. In addition, if a structure is deemed unsafe to be inhabited, Dare County has the authority to have the property’s electrical service disconnected to ensure the home cannot be occupied.

Properties which are tagged as unsafe due to a damaged or otherwise compromised septic system must apply for a repair permit with Dare County Environmental Health and go through the process of installing a new approved septic system.  

Additionally, in October 2022, Dare County Emergency Management sent letters to more than 50 homeowners notifying them that their property has been “identified as being at significant risk of becoming inaccessible due to hazardous ocean water on a recurring basis.” 

These letters also informed property owners that when their property is surrounded by hazardous ocean water, the county is unable to provide public safety services—including routine and emergency fire, medical and law enforcement calls made from the property. In addition, the letters encouraged property owners to ensure the home is not occupied during periods when it is—or has the potential to be—surrounded by ocean water, and also recommended that property owners have electrical and propane services disconnected during these periods to reduce the risk of fire and electrical hazards.

As a requirement of the North Carolina Building Code, a home must have an approved septic system in order to be occupied. If the septic system is damaged and no longer approved—or if the home sustains structural damage or the means of egress/ingress to the structure are affected by the ocean—Dare County has the authority to tag the property as unsafe for occupancy. 

Dare County Environmental Health staff conduct surveys of properties after storm events and documents all properties with damaged septic systems. Property owners and rental management companies are notified and informed of the repair permitting process. These properties are also sent to the Dare County Planning Department to be tagged.

In addition, the county can have electrical service to the property disconnected to ensure it is not occupied once it has been tagged as unsafe, and can also require the homeowner to perform the repairs that are required to eliminate any and all code violations before the property can once again be declared safe for occupancy.  

Dare County Environmental Health issues septic repair permits in accordance with the State 18E rules and, as a condition of the repair permit, requires all old, damaged septic components to be removed from the site.

In Dare County, a structure that has sustained significant damage that renders it uninhabitable can be tagged as unsafe for occupancy. Homes can be decertified for occupancy if their wastewater systems are exposed or damaged, if there are structural issues with the property, or if the means of egress/ingress to the structure are impacted by the ocean.

In addition, electrical service to the home can also be disconnected if a structure is deemed unsafe to ensure it is not occupied. For more information, please contact the Dare County Planning Department at 252-475-5870.

Under North Carolina law, the foreshore (or wet sand beach) is owned by the State of North Carolina unless the state conveys those rights away. According to the National Park Service and the State of North Carolina, the foreshore in Rodanthe was conveyed to the National Park Service in the deed that created the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Therefore, according to the state and federal authorities, the wet sand beach in Rodanthe and Buxton is owned by the National Park Service.

Homeowners are responsible for all of the costs associated with hiring a contractor to clean up and remove the damage and debris that is left on the beach or in the surf following a collapse of their property.

However, according to the National Park Service, “owner-initiated cleanup efforts have not always adequately restored beaches, so the [Cape Hatteras National Seashore] has supplemented cleanup activities and sought cost recovery for costs associated with additional beach restoration.”

National Park Service Pilot Program:

In 2023, the National Park Service began a pilot program to address the issues occurring along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and ultimately purchased two threatened oceanfront properties in Rodanthe that were then demolished before they could collapse and leave a field of debris in the ocean and along the shoreline. 

Funding for the purchase of these two properties came from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a federal program established by Congress in 1964 to provide funding for the acquisition of land and water, primarily for the purpose of creating parks, protecting natural areas, preserving wildlife habitats and enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities. The Land and Water Conservation Fund is funded primarily by royalties from offshore oil and gas drilling, therefore no taxpayer dollars were used in the National Park Services’ purchase of the two threatened oceanfront homes in Rodanthe, and the homeowners were paid fair market value for the properties.

The homes that were purchased by the National Park Service through this pilot program and subsequently demolished before they could collapse were located 23292 East Beacon Road and 23298 East Beacon Road in Rodanthe. Demolition of the homes was completed in late 2023. Although the National Park Service is continuing to evaluate the feasibility of purchasing additional threatened homes along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the funding available from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the pilot program only covered the purchase of these two properties. 

Proposed Legislation: Prevent Environmental Hazards Act 2024:

The proposed legislation, which as of September 16, 2024 was still under review by the House Financial Services Committee, would do the following:

• Authorize National Flood Information Program payouts for structures condemned due to chronic erosion or unusual flooding.

• Allow advance payouts for demolition or relocation: up to 40 percent of the home’s value or $250,000.

• Limit payouts to 40 percent if owners neglect to act before a collapse.

• Reduce confusion in attributing damage to specific floods.

• Encourage proactive demolition or relocation to prevent collapses and reduce cleanup costs.

No beach nourishment projects are currently planned to be performed in Rodanthe due to funding constraints. In February 2024, Dare County submitted a grant application with FEMA in an attempt to obtain funding for beach nourishment in Rodanthe, which is estimated to cost approximately $40 million; however, the county was not awarded the grant.

In addition to the cost of an initial beach nourishment project, renourishment—or “maintenance” projects—typically need to be performed in five-year intervals, as beach nourishment projects are designed to last approximately five years under normal conditions. This requires additional funding to be available in the county’s Beach Nourishment Fund in order to replenish sand lost due to erosion—which is occurring at a very rapid rate in Rodanthe—and to continue to restore the shoreline in the future.

Dare County’s beach nourishment projects typically cost approximately $10 million per mile; however, due to its accelerated rate of erosion, a project in Rodanthe would likely be significantly more expensive. Dare County’s Beach Nourishment Fund is funded by a 2 percent portion of Dare County’s 6 percent Occupancy Tax, as well as various property and municipal service district taxes. 

The unincorporated Village of Rodanthe has a population of fewer than 1,000 residents, therefore the community does not have enough properties to generate sufficient funding from its tax base to pay for an initial beach nourishment project— or any subsequent maintenance projects. Dare County will continue to explore various options to potentially secure funding from other sources in the future.

Following the first house collapse that occurred in Rodanthe in May 2020, a variety of actions have been undertaken by numerous agencies—including the National Park Service/Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Dare County—to address the issue, including:   

• Communicating with dozens of owners of threatened houses to relay concerns about the structural stability of pilings and decks, as well as exposed septic tanks and wires. Owners of threatened structures have been strongly urged to fix issues or relocate the house, if possible. 
• Dare County Emergency Management’s correspondence with more than 50 Rodanthe homeowners in October 2022 notifying them via letter that their property has been “identified as being at significant risk of becoming in accessible due to hazardous ocean water on a recurring basis.” These letters also informed property owners that when their property is surrounded by hazardous ocean water, the county is unable to provide public safety services—including routine and emergency fire, medical and law enforcement calls made from the property. In addition, the letters encouraged property owners to ensure the home is not occupied during periods when it is—or has the potential to be—surrounded by ocean water, and also recommended that property owners have electrical and propane services disconnected during these periods to reduce to the risk of fire and electric shock.
• Communicating with the owners of collapsed houses regarding the importance of removing debris from Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches, as well as cleanup of miles of beach debris associated with each house collapse.

• The National Park Service’s implementation of a pilot program in 2023, through which the National Park Service purchased two threatened oceanfront properties in Rodanthe that were then demolished before they could collapse and leave a field of debris in the ocean and along the shoreline. For more detailed information about the National Park Service’s pilot program, please see the question above titled, “Is anything being done to help prevent the collapses?”

• Hosting public meetings regarding threatened oceanfront structures in Rodanthe  and Buxton to keep members of the community informed and to provide an opportunity for residents and property owners to ask questions and express concerns.

• The National Park Service’s implementation of closures around threatened houses in Rodanthe and Buxton to provide for visitor safety during severe weather events or as a result of rough surf conditions.

• On June 5, 2024, Congressman Greg Murphy introduced the Prevent Environmental Hazards Act to give homeowners who are insured by the National Flood Insurance Program greater flexibility to management natural disasters by potentially providing insurance funding to relocate or demolish a threatened property prior to its collapse. The proposed legislation, which as of September 16, 2024 is still under review by the House Financial Services Committee, would do the following:

• Authorize National Flood Information Program payouts for structures condemned due to chronic erosion or unusual flooding.

  • Allow advance payouts for demolition or relocation: up to 40 percent of the home’s value or $250,000.

  • Limit payouts to 40 percent if owners neglect to act before a collapse.

  • Reduce confusion in attributing damage to specific floods.

• Encourage proactive demolition or relocation to prevent collapses and reduce cleanup costs.

• The August 2022 establishment of the Threatened Oceanfront Structures Interagency Work Group. Co-led by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the National Park Service’s Cape Hatteras National Seashore, this work group was established to discuss, research and provide ideas that will help improve management of threatened oceanfront structures. In August 2024 a report titled, ”Managing Threatened Oceanfront Structures: Ideas from an Interagency Work Group” was released by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Coastal Management.

Dare County, in collaboration with North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, hosted a public meeting on the topic of at-risk oceanfront homes on Thursday, September 18, 2025, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Coastal Studies Institute - ECU Outer Banks Campus located in Wanchese. A virtual option was also available for those who were unable to attend the meeting in person.

Oceanfront structures in Dare County are being threatened by flooding, shoreline erosion and coastal storms, with more than 10 homes having collapsed since May 2020 (as of September 2025)—and several others identified as being at risk of collapse.

Dare County property owners, residents and other interested individuals were encouraged to attend this public meeting, where they will learn more about the issues threatening oceanfront structures; what steps federal, state and local agencies are taking to help combat the issue; and the financial options that are available to the owners of at-risk oceanfront properties.

The meeting concluded with a question and answer session, during which attendees had the opportunity to ask questions of the National Park Service, North Carolina Emergency Management, Department of Environmental Quality, Coastal Studies Institute and flood insurance specialists.

In January 2023, the Dare County Board of Commissioners held a public meeting at the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Building in Rodanthe to provide information and facilitate a discussion with residents and property owners regarding their concerns with the erosion issues that have affected the community. 

The meeting—which was also livestreamed on Dare County’s YouTube channel so out-of-town property owners had the opportunity to tune in virtually—featured an in-depth presentation from Dare County Manager/Attorney Bobby Outten that included an overview of the logistics and funding models that have made previous beach nourishment projects possible in Dare County. 

In August 2024, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management released a report titled, “Managing Threatened Oceanfront Structures: Ideas from an Interagency Work Group.” To access a PDF of the report, click here.