Two houses in Rodanthe, North Carolina collapse on same day; fourth to collapse in 2024

This article has been updated with new information.

Two homes collapsed in Rodanthe, North Carolina, just hours apart on the same day. It was the fourth home to collapse in the Outer Banks this year.

An unoccupied home collapsed on GA Kohler Court in the early morning hours of Friday, Sept. 20. Later that night, at approximately 9:18 p.m., the Dare County Sheriff’s Office received a call about another home collapse on GA Kohler Court, the National Park Service (NPS) reported in an online news release.

“Debris associated with yesterday’s home collapses at 23001 and 23009 GA Kohler Court was observed at least 20 miles south of the collapse sites,” Mike Barber, public relations specialist for Cape Hatteras National Seashore, told USA TODAY in a statement.

“Coastal Protection officers responded to the scene and confirmed that an unoccupied, one-story home — the same home that was damaged in the first collapse of the day — had collapsed and apparently been washed out to sea before most of it returned to the beach at the southern end of Kohler Court, Georgia,” the release said.

Visitors are advised to avoid this area

Additionally, Cape Hatteras National Seashore warns tourists to avoid all beaches in Rodanthe.

“The National Park Service urges visitors living near and many miles south of Rodanthe to stay out of the water and wear hard-soled shoes when walking on the beach to avoid injury from hazardous floating debris and wooden debris with nails,” Barber said.

In a statement, Cape Hatteras National Seashore said it is working with the property owner where the home is located. A contractor is expected to be hired to remove the debris.

National Park Service workers are scheduled to be back at the beach on Saturday to help remove trash above the high-tide line, the release said.

“Yesterday afternoon, varying levels of debris from the collapse of the building were observed approximately nine miles south of the GA Kohler Court building collapse site,” the release said.

Outer Banks home collapses in 2020

Here is a list of nine private homes that have collapsed on Seashore beaches since 2020, according to the NPS:

• May 29, 2020:A vacant home at 23238 Sea Oats Drive in Rodanthe collapsed overnight.

• February 9, 2022:On a quiet winter day, a vacant house at 24183 Ocean Drive in Rodanthe collapsed.

• May 10, 2022:During a multi-day nor’easter, an unoccupied home collapsed at 24235 Ocean Drive, Rodanthe. The collapse occurred in the early morning hours.

• May 10, 2022:During a multi-day nor’easter, an unoccupied home collapsed at 24265 Ocean Drive, Rodanthe. The collapse occurred in the early afternoon.

• March 13, 2023:As a result of severe weather, an unoccupied home collapsed at 23228 East Point Drive, Rodanthe.

• August 16, 2024:At approximately 6:50 p.m., a vacant home collapsed at 23214 Corbina Drive, Rodanthe.

• September 20, 2024:A vacant home at 23001 GA Kohler Court in Rodanthe, North Carolina collapsed early this morning.

• September 20, 2024: An unoccupied home collapsed this evening at 23009 GA Kohler Court in Rodanthe, North Carolina.

What is causing all the houses on the Outer Banks to collapse?

According to the National Park Service, the daily effects of winds, waves and tides, along with rising sea levels (which are linked to climate change) and storm surges, have contributed to coastal erosion effects at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, “particularly adjacent to the villages of Rodanthe and Buxton, North Carolina.”

Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials said erosion in those villages has caused developments to appear on the open shoreline or in the intertidal zone.

“During extreme weather events that occur year-round on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, private oceanfront homes located in vulnerable areas are damaged by high winds and large waves,” the NPS website states.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter for the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, the lottery and public policy. Write to her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.

Gabe Hauari is a national trends reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or write to him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Two homes collapsed in Rodanthe on North Carolina’s Outer Banks on the same day