On a windswept stretch of Hatteras Island, the smell hits before the view: Gasoline, septic and salt air mingling above a beach strewn with lumber, insulation and splintered decks.
What once were vacation homes have become dangerous debris fields, scattered for miles along the Buxton shoreline.
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At least nine houses collapsed this week into the Atlantic Ocean as Hurricanes Imelda and Humberto churned offshore. Now, with king tides looming, National Park Service officials warn that more homes could soon fall and bring even greater environmental fallout.
“This is not just broken wood,” said Dave Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. “It is propane tanks, septic systems, treated lumber. It is everything that was inside a home, and once it is in the surf, it can travel miles.”
Hallac said debris from the most recent collapses has already been found more than two and a half miles from the site. Crews are focusing first on hauling away the largest hazards such as walls, tanks and appliances before combing the sand for smaller items like nails and insulation, a process that could take months.
Though homeowners are legally responsible for cleanup costs, Hallac acknowledged the system is imperfect. “Many property owners have already hired contractors and started cleanup,” he said. “But they have not always paid in the past, leaving the National Park Service to eat those costs.”
Even during the federal government shutdown, 35 National Park Service staff are on the job in Buxton, classified as essential workers. “This is considered an emergency situation,” Hallac said. He urged residents and visitors to avoid the area for now, citing hazards from hidden nails, unstable debris and the possibility of further collapses.
Photos: Outer Banks homes collapse into the ocean
Scientists say the threat extends far beyond Buxton and Rodanthe’s beaches.
“Right away, you have a safety hazard — nails, boards, insulation scattered across the sand and in shallow waters,” said Reide Corbett, a coastal scientist and executive director of East Carolina University’s Coastal Studies Institute. “But beyond that, those materials break down. Plastics and insulation become part of the sand and surf zone. Some of this debris will only come out of the ocean when it shows up in fish or other species.”
Corbett said the collapse of homes also means septic systems spilling into the water. “That adds bacteria and nutrients into the nearshore environment,” he said. “Yes, there is mixing and dilution in the ocean, but multiple tanks failing at once is still a public health concern.”
Erosion on this stretch of barrier islands is not new. In Buxton, the shoreline has been receding by 10 to 15 feet a year for decades. But scientists say rising seas and stronger storms mean the stakes are higher today than when many of these houses were first built.
“This is barrier island dynamics, but it is happening on top of a foot of sea level rise,” Corbett said. “Where you did not see water 20 years ago, you see it today. That accelerates the vulnerability.”
The broader question, he said, is whether communities and policymakers are prepared to rethink development on the Outer Banks. “Do we keep spending resources to protect a few homes, or do we back away from the most vulnerable spots?” he asked. “Those are hard conversations, but they need to start now.”
For Hallac, the challenge is more immediate. With more homes teetering on the edge and king tides expected next week, his crews are working against the clock.
“We know more could fall in at any moment," he said.