After the collapse of an unoccupied beach house on Friday night, Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge are advising visitors to avoid the beaches and refrain from entering the water in the Rodanthe area.
Access to the beach is restricted from the northern boundary of Rodanthe to the northern end of the Jug Handle Bridge. Several other homes in Rodanthe have also suffered damage, and dangerous debris is expected to be present on the beach and in the water for over twelve miles.
Current conditions suggest that debris from homes is being carried north by prevailing currents, but a shift in wave and wind patterns could pose safety risks in the nearby villages of Waves and Salvo.
The National Seashore is in contact with the property owner regarding the collapsed structure. Currently, no debris removal contractor has been hired. Should other removal efforts fail, National Park Service staff may handle cleanup. Significant debris removal is not anticipated until the high sea conditions recede early next week.
This incident marks the seventh house collapse on the Seashore’s beaches in the last four years, though no injuries have been reported in connection with these collapses. For more information on the threatened oceanfront properties bordering the Seashore, visit go.nps.gov/cahatos.