Overview

• Park officials said five unoccupied houses in Buxton fell into the ocean within about 45 minutes starting around 2 p.m. ET on Sept. 30, with no injuries reported.
• Cape Hatteras National Seashore closed the beachfront from northern Buxton through ORV ramp 43 and warned of hazardous debris and the potential for additional collapses.
• Large, long-period waves linked to the offshore storms produced rough surf, overwash and coastal flooding, with surf reported at 6 to 12 feet and a Coastal Flood Warning in effect.
• NCDOT closed a portion of NC Highway 12 on Ocracoke Island and suspended the Ocracoke–Hatteras ferry due to ocean overwash as dangerous conditions persisted.
• The collapses bring the total to 17 homes lost on seashore beaches since 2020, a pattern experts tie to ongoing shoreline retreat and higher seas, with a prior Buxton home falling on Sept. 16.