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Watch: North Carolina home floats into ocean as Hurricane Ernesto causes high surf, riptides

The collapse happened Friday evening at 23214 Corbina Drive, according to Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials.

RODANTHE, N.C. — A house in Rodanthe, North Carolina fell into the ocean on Friday evening, becoming the seventh to collapse in four years, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore said.

The collapse happened at 23214 Corbina Drive. Seashore officials strongly urge all visitors to avoid the beaches and stay out of the water around all areas of the beaches and surf in Rodanthe. No one was inside the home at the time, and no injuries were reported.

On Sunday, officials from Cape Hatteras National Seashore provided an update on the cleanup effort. We're told the Seashore team has met with the owner of the collapsed house to work on clearing the remaining debris. Material from the home has been observed 11 miles north of the original home site. There is also work to coordinate with owners of other Rodanthe homes that are damaged along the oceanfront.

Credit: Cape Hatteras National Seashore
A look at broken concrete and other debris on August 18th after a home collapsed on August 16th.

Public entry from the northern boundary of Rodanthe up to the northern end of the Jug Handle Bridge is also closed.

RELATED: Rep. Kiggans joins call for House bill to allow advanced demolition, relocation payouts after Outer Banks house collapse

Cape Hatteras National Seashore also warns that several other homes appear to have sustained damage in the Rodanthe area and dangerous debris might be found along the beach and in the water for more than a dozen miles.

Officials said currents appear to be rapidly transporting debris north, but if the wave swell and winds shift in the coming days, the villages of Waves and Salvo could be impacted.

Seashore officials are in contact with the property owner, but plans for significant debris removal is not expected until after elevated sea conditions caused by an offshore Hurricane Ernesto subside, likely early next week.

Officials and homeowners have grappled with how to address the issue of houses at risk of collapsing into the ocean, with pricey solutions such as relocating homes away from the shoreline and beach nourishment. As previously reported by 13News Now, the scope of what could be covered by a person's insurance presents a difficult road to navigate for both homeowners and authorities.

RELATED: Part of Rodanthe beach reopens after house collapses into ocean

North Carolina home collapses amid high surf alerts from Hurricane Ernesto

A North Carolina home collapsed into the ocean as Hurricane Ernesto, although hundreds of miles offshore, is prompting the National Weather Service to issue alerts for high surf and riptides along much of the Atlantic coastline. https://abcnews.visitlink.me/9432jN

Posted by ABC News on Sunday, August 18, 2024

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