Overview

• Cape Hatteras National Seashore said five unoccupied Buxton houses collapsed between 2:00 and 2:45 p.m., with debris visible in the surf.
• Dare County reported no injuries and said the five losses raise the five-year total in Buxton and Rodanthe to 17.
• The National Park Service closed beach areas in Buxton and northern Rodanthe, and N.C. 12 near Ocracoke was shut because of ocean overwash.
• Offshore Hurricanes Imelda and Humberto drove high surf and flooding that breached dunes and pushed sand and water onto roads.
• County officials said they lack jurisdiction to remove threatened houses before collapse, as earlier flooding had already led to occupancy bans in 31 Buxton homes.