The weekend winter storm on caused the collapse of four oceanfront homes in the village of Buxton.
The structures succumbed to the combined force of a powerful "bomb cyclone" and extreme high tides that scoured the sand from beneath their foundations.
Officials with the National Park Service at Cape Hatteras National Seashore has confirmed that the debris field from the collapses spans several miles of coastline.
Because of the hazardous materials—including nails, splintered wood, and septic components—large sections of the beach in Buxton remain closed to the public.
This latest event brings the total to 31 privately owned homes lost along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore since 2020.
Rapid shoreline loss—estimated at over 600 feet since 1987 in some areas—has left homes that were once several rows back directly in the surf zone.
State and federal officials from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality are working with homeowners to manage the cleanup, though the ongoing surf and freezing temperatures are making recovery efforts difficult.
People are urged to avoid the water and the immediate shoreline in these areas, as much of the debris is currently floating just beneath the surface or buried in the sand.
