Another Outer Banks house collapses into the ocean, the latest such incident along NC coast

Another house has collapsed into the ocean on the Outer Banks of North Carolina early Tuesday morning, authorities said, the latest collapse in the coastal area where erosion continues to take a toll.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore announced in a news release Tuesday it has begun cleanup at the site of an unoccupied house that collapsed in Rodanthe, North Carolina. The agency said the house, located at 24131 Ocean Drive, likely collapsed around 2:30 a.m. local time Tuesday morning.

Authorities closed an approximately one-mile stretch of beach from Sea Haven Drive to South Shore Drive to help "ensure the safety of visitors and allow for cleanup activities to occur," according to the news release. Officials urged visitors to avoid the beaches north of Sea Haven Drive into the southern portion of Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge due to the direction the debris is expected to drift.

Previously:Two North Carolina beach houses collapse into Atlantic Ocean as seen in video

"Dangerous debris may be present on the beach and in the water. Additional beach closures may be necessary as the debris spreads and cleanup efforts proceed," officials said in the news release.

Debris removal was expected to begin Tuesday afternoon, according to the NPS release.

Sixth house collapse in last four years

Officials said this morning's collapse is the sixth house collapse on Seashore beaches over the last four years. There were three collapses in 2022 and one each in 2020 and 2023, respectively.

According to the agency, the daily effects of winds, waves and tides, along with rising seas and storms, have played a part in contributing to coastal erosion impacts at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, "particularly adjacent to the villages of Rodanthe and Buxton, North Carolina."

From 2023:Another North Carolina home falls into Atlantic Ocean and more are at risk

The effects of erosion in these villages have resulted in structures being present on the open beachfront or in the intertidal area, Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials said.

"During severe weather events, which the Outer Banks of North Carolina experiences throughout the year, privately-owned oceanfront houses in vulnerable areas get battered by strong winds and large waves," the NPS office's website notes.

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].