Hurricane Ernesto: House collapses in Rodanthe on North Carolina’s Outer Banks

RODANTHE, NC — Rough seas caused by Hurricane Ernesto have washed at least one house into the sea in Rodanthe.

Video and pictures posted by Chicamacomico Banks Fire & Rescue shows the stunning scene with debris littering the beach and an entire house floating in the surf.

“Please do not enter the sea as the debris will be washed around in the next few days,” first responders wrote on social media.

The area where this is happening is along Corbina Drive, and houses like this one falling into the ocean are becoming an increasingly common problem in the Outer Banks. In the last four years alone, six houses have collapsed in Rodanthe.

Collapsing oceanfront homes can cause countless problems for people and the local ecosystem, which is why the National Park Service director for Cape Hatteras has launched a pilot program to buy up and demolish some of the homes.

“We needed the houses from willing sellers that were in the ocean every day at high tide. We found the money to buy those properties. We completely removed the houses, completely demolished them and restored the beach. And if we went to that place today, there wouldn’t be much to see because it would just be a beautiful beach,” said David Hullac of the U.S. National Park Service.

They have successfully purchased two homes and would like the government to fund the program even more.