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Multiple beach houses collapse into Atlantic Ocean waves

The homes were in Rodanthe in North Carolina
Beach House Collapses-Warning
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RODANTHE, N.C. — The National Park Service says two beach houses have fallen into the waves along North Carolina's coast. The homes, which were unoccupied when they fell into the ocean, were located along Ocean Drive in the Outer Banks community of Rodanthe.

The park service confirmed the collapses on Tuesday and has closed off the areas around the fallen structures. Debris from the first fallen house has spread widely. Officials from the Cape Hatteras National Seashore say they'll be working closely with the homeowner to coordinate cleanup activities. This is the third time a Rodanthe home has fallen into the surf this year.

This photo provided by National Park Service shows a beach house collapsing along North Carolina's Outer Banks on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Another beach house has fallen into the waves along North Carolina's coast, and more are in danger of collapsing, U.S. National Park Service officials said in a statement Tuesday. The home that fell was located along Ocean Drive in the Outer Banks community of Rodanthe. The park service has closed off the area and warned that additional homes in the area may fall too. (National Park Service via AP)

“Unfortunately, there may be more houses that collapse onto Seashore beaches in the near future,” David Hallac, superintendent of National Parks of Eastern North Carolina, said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. “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 coast of North Carolina is almost entirely made up of narrow, low-lying barrier islands. Hatteras Island is part of what’s known as the Outer Banks.