Stay up to date with WRAL’s Outer Banks news and reporting coverage
New 3D maps reveal Buxton's beach lost 800 dump trucks of sand and nine feet of elevation in five weeks -- a warning, scientists say, of how fast North Carolina's coast is collapsing.
A Buxton woman describes the fear and unvertanity around the encroaching shoreline as homes like hers get closer to sea.
Five homes collapsed in Buxton as powerful surf chews away the shoreline. The debris now stretches for miles, and so do the questions -- who pays to clean it up, and how long can North Carolina's disappearing coast afford to wait for answers?
Five homes collapsed in Buxton on Tuesday, according to a person close to the situation.
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It's been a common theme lately - coastal storms bringing the chance for high wind and coastal overwash.
WRAL Meteorologist, Chris Michaels
N.C. Highway 12 on Ocracoke Island remains closed Tuesday due to overwash, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).
Officials in the Outer Banks are concerned that this weather could cause more home collapses.
A coastal low will bring everything from rain to wind to coastal flooding and high surf along the Outer Banks.
Hundreds of truckloads of debris have already been cleared from the Outer Banks. WRAL News looks at where things stand ahead of a system that could wipe out even more homes.
Crews have cleared more than 360 truckloads of debris after nine homes collapsed in a week on the Outer Banks, as rising seas and new storms threaten to wash away even more of Buxton's coast.
Throughout the weekend and into Monday, a nor'easter will bring high surf, coastal flooding and wind gusts up to 60 mph on our coast.
Chris Michaels, WRAL meteorologist
3D mapping shows Buxton's shoreline retreated up to 141 feet after multiple homes collapsed, with debris spreading inland as rising seas and repeated storms accelerate erosion.
WRAL anchor/reporter Dan Haggerty answers who cleans up the debris after an Outer Banks home collapses into the Atlantic Ocean. He also answered questions about garbage is converted into energy.
At least nine homes collapsed in the Outer Banks, scattering debris for miles. Crews are cleaning septic tanks, lumber and waste as rising seas put more houses at risk.
Cleanup is underway in Buxton after eight homes collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean.
Eight homes in Buxton has collapsed this week, succumbing to amid erosion and high surf. When Family Tides went down, photographer Donny Bowers caught it on camera.
Eight beachfront homes in the Outer Banks collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean this week as Hurricanes Imelda and Humberto passed offshore.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor Laura Moore spoke about possible solutions as coastal erosion is intensified by more frequent and severe storms.
Six homes in the Outer Banks collapsed on Tuesday and a seventh collapsed on Wednesday, bringing the five-year total to 19 in the Rodanthe and Buxton area.
Photos captured in October 2025 show damage to Outer Banks homes in Buxton after a tropical system and nor'easter pounded North Carolina's coast. All photos courtesy of Donny Bowers.
More beachfront homes in Buxton collapsed Tuesday into the Atlantic Ocean, adding to the dozen lost to high surf and erosion in recent years.
High rip currents, high surf, coastal flooding and strong wind gusts are expected along and off the coast.
As sea levels rise at an increasing rate, oceanfront homes in the Outer Banks, particularly Buxton, face an increased risk of collapse.
