4 Outer Banks Beach Homes Collapse Into the Ocean During Powerful Nor’easter

Four oceanfront homes in the Outer Banks in North Carolina have collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean after the Carolinas and Virginia were hit by a powerful nor'easter.

The storm brought "heavy snow, powerful wind gusts, and even blowing sand along parts of the coastline," Tyler Roys, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, tells Realtor.com®. As much as 18 inches of snow fell in some communities near the coast.

All four homes that collapsed were unoccupied and privately owned.

The homes are the first to collapse on the Outer Banks this year, following 16 collapses in Buxton and Rodanthe in late 2025, one of which was documented live by Fox Weather.

According to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 31 privately owned homes have collapsed on Seashore beaches since 2020 because of coastal erosion.

The first house to give way Sunday morning was on Tower Circle Road, which saw several other collapses in Buxton last year.

Two unoccupied houses later collapsed during the overnight hours, and another unoccupied house collapsed about 9 a.m. Monday morning.

"Those four houses were already vulnerable and hanging on for dear life," local real estate agent Misty Gillikin, of Re/Max Coastal Associates, tells Realtor.com. "One of them was my listing that I was fully intending to put back on the market once the beach nourishment took place this spring."

Mike Barber, public affairs specialist at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, tells Realtor.com, "Cape Hatteras National Seashore advises everyone to stay away from the collapse sites and the surrounding beach area, due to potentially hazardous debris. The beach is closed in front of the entire village of Buxton."

Years of coastal flooding and beach erosion have steadily degraded beaches in the area.

Homes that once stood hundreds of feet from the shoreline now sit in the surf, battered by the ocean and left damaged or in pieces.

Beach homes under siege

Privately owned oceanfront houses adjacent to Seashore beaches are typical, elevated beach-style homes situated on pilings with a concrete driveway, parking pad, and septic systems, according to the National Park Service.

Many private properties adjacent to the beach in Rodanthe, which previously contained backyard land, dunes, and dry sand, are either partially or fully covered with ocean water on a regular basis, the National Park Service reports.

Throughout the year, severe weather in North Carolina’s Outer Banks batters privately owned oceanfront homes in vulnerable locations with strong winds and crashing waves, contributing to multiple collapses in recent years.

"The recent loss of homes in Buxton Beach, NC, offers a stark preview of what’s to come for many coastal communities along the Eastern Seaboard," Jeremy Porter, chief economist at climate risk assessment firm First Street, recently told Realtor.com. "In Buxton alone, the number of properties at risk of flooding is projected to increase by nearly 40% over the next three decades."

Porter said for those already in harm’s way, the frequency and severity of flooding will continue to intensify.

"What we’re witnessing is a direct consequence of a shifting climate, and areas that were once safe and suitable for development are becoming increasingly unstable as sea levels rise and storm patterns evolve," he explained.

However, Gillikin says the Outer Banks remain a solid choice, noting that much of the coastline is not so vulnerable.

She explains that while there are two particularly at-risk areas within a 50-mile stretch—less than a mile of beach in Buxton and about half a mile in Rodanthe—the vast majority of the beachfront remains stable.

“The rest is beautiful beach,” she says, “perfect for soaking up the sun.”

One couple moved their beach home to save it

Currently, the costs for relocation, demolition, or even cleanup fall solely on the homeowner, according to Dare County.

Dr. Scott Twentyman and Cindy Doughty of Rodanthe, previously told Realtor.com that they spent more than $200,000 out of their own pockets to relocate their home 100 feet further inland from the eroding beach. 

They saw several of their neighbors' houses fall into the Atlantic Ocean back in 2019, when the Outer Banks was hit by three nor'easters in a row, including Hurricane Dorian.

"When one of the houses went down, one of the neighbor's pilings crashed down through our back door, and our first floor had 2 feet of water in it," Doughty recalled. "It was crazy."

The couple knew they had to take action—and quickly.

"It was clear we had to move or lose the house," said Twentyman. "We had no choice."

If they put the house on the market, they feared they would get a lowball offer since the home was uninhabitable at that point.

"Plus, we could never get something like this house again, so we really didn't want to sell it," noted Twentyman.

"And you can never replace the view," Doughty added. "This is not something you can just go out and buy somewhere."

The solution? Move the house entirely. 

Luckily, they were "fortunate" to own a double lot, Twentyman explained, so moving the house was actually a viable option.

"Otherwise, there would have been no empty lots to move it to, since Hatteras Island is built out," he said.

The couple insisted they have absolutely no regrets about moving their house and would advise other people in coastal communities to consider doing the same.

"It was a big leap of faith, but it paid off," said Doughty. "We both have such a strong emotional connection to this house, and we didn't want to lose it."