A second unoccupied house collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean at 24265 Ocean Drive in Rodanthe, N.C., Cape Hatteras National Seashore confirmed. The first house to collapse Tuesday was located at 24235 Ocean Drive.
The stretch of beach along Ocean Drive was closed to the public due to hazardous debris, along with the danger that more homes in the area may collapse.
Unfortunately, there may be more houses that collapse onto Seashore beaches in the near future, David Hallac, superintendent, National Parks of Eastern North Carolina, said in a statement. We proactively reached out to homeowners along Ocean Drive in Rodanthe after the first house collapse and recommended that actions be taken to prevent collapse and impacts to Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
The Seashore is managed by the U.S. National Park Service, and covers some 70 miles of the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Another house on Ocean Drive collapsed on Feb. 9. Despite an organized cleanup effort by the homeowner and volunteers, park officials say debris from the February collapse is still being cleared.
When cleaning up the beach, volunteers should place debris above the high tide line to prevent it from being washed out to sea, the park service said.
