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Fourth Rodanthe house since February 2022 falls into ocean

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Photo of collapsed one-story house at 23228 East Point Drive, Rodanthe, Photo: NPS
Photo of collapsed one-story house at 23228 East Point Drive, Rodanthe, Photo: NPS

Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials reported Monday that another oceanfront house in Rodanthe has collapsed, the fourth in the Hatteras Island community in a little more than a year.

While the bulk of the debris is at the location of the collapsed structure, 23228 East Point Drive, visitors should use caution if nearby on the beach and in the ocean, seashore staff advised.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore staff are communicating with the owners to coordinate the removal of the house and all related debris.

The 1,116-square-foot house built in 1976 has three bedrooms and a bath and a half, according to tax records. It was valued in 2020 at $298,800.

Special Report: Houses on the Edge

This house is one of a series to crumble into the ocean since February last year. One house collapsed on Feb. 10, 2022, and two more on May 10, 2022. Debris spread miles along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches. Staff coordinated with homeowners and volunteers to clean up the area.

Related: Solutions are few for imperiled oceanfront homes: Panel

In order to address these threatened oceanfront houses, the state Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore established in August 2022 an interagency work group.

The group held its first of four workshops Feb. 27 by web conference to discuss the topic “Property Acquisition and Financial Assistance.”

About Staff Report

The story was compiled by staff members of Coastal Review.

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