Two unoccupied houses on the Outer Banks of Virginia collapsed into the ocean Tuesday within hours of each other, the latest in a string of crashes along the stretch of beach.
The first one broke into pieces in rough surf overnight, the National Park Service (NPS) said in a statement. The two were neighbors, at 24265 and 24235 Ocean Drive in Rodanthe, North Carolina, with just one house in between them, The Virginian-Pilot reported.
In this image provided by National Park Service, a beach house that collapsed along North Carolina’s Outer Banks rest in the water on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Rodanthe, N.C.
The beach near Ocean Drive was closed down, as was Ocean Drive itself, and officials warned visitors to stay away from the debris-heavy area. The rough surf was caused by a nor’easter parked offshore that brought 40mph winds, large waves and flooding to the Outer Banks, reported WAVY-TV.
The dramatic demise of the second home was caught on video released by the National Park Service.
“The beach has been closed along all of Ocean Drive in Rodanthe to protect the public from hazards associated with the collapsed home and because there are additional homes in the area that may collapse,” the NPS said in a statement after the first house fell.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore, part of the NPS, said they are working with the homeowner from the first house to coordinate cleanup, The Associated Press reported.
These were two of several homes that have either been destroyed or are in danger of destruction after more than a decade of erosion, The Virginian-Pilot reported. In 2020, one home that was set to be razed had collapsed before the job could be done. Both homes that fell on Tuesday were built in the 1980s, WAVY reported.
In this image provided by National Park Service, a beach house that collapsed along North Carolina’s Outer Banks rest in the water on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Rodanthe, N.C.
The beach near Ocean Drive was closed down, as was Ocean Drive itself, and officials warned visitors to stay away from the debris-heavy area. The rough surf was caused by a nor’easter parked offshore that brought 40mph winds, large waves and flooding to the Outer Banks, reported WAVY-TV.
The dramatic demise of the second home was caught on video released by the National Park Service.
“The beach has been closed along all of Ocean Drive in Rodanthe to protect the public from hazards associated with the collapsed home and because there are additional homes in the area that may collapse,” the NPS said in a statement after the first house fell.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore, part of the NPS, said they are working with the homeowner from the first house to coordinate cleanup, The Associated Press reported.
These were two of several homes that have either been destroyed or are in danger of destruction after more than a decade of erosion, The Virginian-Pilot reported. In 2020, one home that was set to be razed had collapsed before the job could be done. Both homes that fell on Tuesday were built in the 1980s, WAVY reported.