North Carolina Home Collapses Into Atlantic Ocean As Rising Sea Levels Eat Away At Coast
These images show how a home in North Carolina has collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean as rising sea levels eat away at the coast, leaving piles of debris in its wake.
The incident took place in the unincorporated community of Rodanthe in Dare County in the US state of North Carolina.
The images show how the house, which appears to have been built on the sand, collapsed as the sea levels in the state have risen progressively for decades.
The Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which is part of the National Park Service, shared the images online and said: “Cape Hatteras National Seashore visitors should use caution when participating in recreational activities on the beach and in the ocean between the villages of Rodanthe and Salvo due to debris from a collapsed house.”
It also warned locals that debris had been spotted far from the location of the collapsed building. It said: “The bulk of the debris is at the site of the collapsed house, located at 24183 Ocean Drive, Rodanthe; however, smaller amounts of debris have been spotted as far south as off-road vehicle ramp 23, more than seven miles away.”
The National Park Service also said that it was working with the local county to remove the debris and the remains of the house from the beach. It said: “The National Park Service is communicating with Dare County to coordinate the removal of the house and all related debris on the beach.”
North Carolina first evaluated long-term average erosion rates for the state’s 300-mile ocean coastline in 1979, the state says on its website.