National Park Service To Begin Cleanup Of Collapsed Houses At Cape Hatteras

October 2, 2025

Beach debris from collapsed houses at Cape Hatteras/NPS
Beach debris from collapsed houses at Cape Hatteras/NPS.

MANTEO, NC — National Park Service crews will be deployed Friday at Cape Hatteras National Seashore to tackle cleanup in the wake of recent house collapses into the surf at Buxton.

On Tuesday five houses collapsed, the latest in a series of collapses in recent years as the shifting of Cape Hatteras has erased shoreline that once separated the homes from the Atlantic Ocean.

To protect Park Service resources and ensure visitor safety, seashore staff will focus on collecting debris to the south of the collapse sites—between the southern end of the Buxton and Cape Point. Property owners should prepare to remove debris from village beach areas, so that Dare County’s debris removal contractor can dispose of removed debris in the future along right-of-ways.

Further collapses are possible in Buxton and in Rodanthe, so visitors are urged to stay away from houses in the ocean water and use caution near debris.

The entire beachfront, from northern Buxton through off-road vehicle (ORV) ramp 43, is closed for public safety. ORV drivers using ramps 38 should avoid traveling to the south and anyone using ramp 43 should avoid traveling north.

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