Overview

• Cape Hatteras National Seashore said six unoccupied Buxton homes fell within 45 minutes Tuesday afternoon, and a seventh on Tower Circle Road collapsed the next night.
• No injuries were reported as the park service closed the oceanfront from northern Buxton to ORV ramp 43 and urged people to avoid debris-strewn beaches for miles.
• Swells from Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda are generating 8–12 foot surf and coastal flood warnings, with NC 12 on Ocracoke closed and the Hatteras–Ocracoke ferry suspended.
• Local officials now put Hatteras Island’s tally at 19 home collapses since 2020, following earlier failures in Rodanthe and a prior Buxton collapse two weeks ago.
• Dare County has decertified dozens of oceanfront structures and organized debris removal staging, while beach nourishment and jetty repairs are not slated to begin until 2026.