Iconic Rodanthe House Crumbles into the Atlantic

In the age-long story of man vs. nature, that battle ended with a chilling blow for mankind as an iconic beachfront house in Rodanthe on North Carolina's picturesque Outer Banks crumbled into the cruel Atlantic Ocean. The ocean was unrelenting and on Aug. 16 a beachgoer who recorded the home being eaten by powerful swells posted video of it online to Instagram — giving much of America its first look at Seacliff Beach's dramatic winter erosion nearly six months after the fact. The accompanying caption reads, in blunt fashion: “A Rodanthe NC house was consumed by the ocean right in front of me!”

The National Park Service says this is the seventh house collapse in Rodanthe within the last four years — an ongoing problem. According to reports, the collapse is due more to Hurricane Ernesto when it reached a Category 1 status and dealt Bermuda winds of over 85 mph with breaking waves in excess of 35 feet. Structural failures have been a problem for years (in part due to the erosion that has become exacerbated by rising sea levels brought about from climate change).

The collapse prompted warnings from the National Park Service and restrictions along most of the Oregon Inlet area, including a closure between Rodanthe (mile post 54) to just north of Jug Handle Bridge (mile post 21). The debris is a significant hazard along the beach and in portions of open water with jagged metal throughout, as well as planks laden with nails -- it could spread to effect more than 12 miles (approx. The Park Service has also warned visitors to other sharp hazards lurking in the rubble such as septic systems, wires and concrete from the house.

The structure, which had previously been an active vacation rental until earlier in August, was mercifully unoccupied during the collapse and there are no known injuries. Purchased by a Hershey, Pennsylvania couple, the house is now just rubble and still has not been cleaned up. Debris removal by the property owners also had not been scheduled as of latest updates, leaving Park Service among likely post-swell conditions expected to endure until at least early next week.

What follows is a sobering reminder that coastal properties are incredibly exposed to the risks of being located at, well, sea level in an era where climate change and natural events do not care about property lines. It is a sad reminder that coastal policymakers and infrastructure resilience efforts, especially in areas like Rodanthe where calamities of this magnitude occur — have to do better. While the community and authorities work on how best to respond in the wake of this collapse, attention will likely now turn toward prevention and risk mitigation that can help lower risks over time.