Five homes in Buxton, located on the Outer Banks, have tragically collapsed as a result of the aftermath from Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda, which brought severe surf conditions to the southeast coast. The collapses now mark the 13th to 17th incidents over the past five years, underscoring a concerning trend in the area.
The first house collapsed sometime after 1 p.m. on a recent Tuesday, as reported by locals to 13News Now. While on-site to assess this initial damage, journalist Alex Littlehales witnessed the additional collapse of four neighboring homes, sweeping them into the sea. Authorities, including representatives from the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, are being contacted for further details on these significant incidents.
Just two weeks ago, the latest house collapse had occurred, adding to the pattern of seaside home destruction. Prior to these events, the most recent collapse happened in November 2024 in Rodanthe, where a similar chain reaction occurred, leading to the destruction of five homes within a little over a month.
This repetitive occurrence of house collapses along the Outer Banks poses serious concerns about the resilience of coastal homes and the increasing ferocity of weather events likely exacerbated by climate change. As communities in Buxton and beyond continue to grapple with these challenges, the need for effective measures to protect homes and infrastructure from erosion and severe weather is becoming more urgent. While the current situation is unfortunate for residents, it highlights the potential for more robust coastal defense strategies to be implemented in the future to mitigate such risks.