Buxton house Dare County attempted to purchase for removal collapses, beach closure announced
- Corinne Saunders
- 15 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The house on the right, seen as it appeared on Oct. 20, 2025, collapsed the night of Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Buxton. The house pictured in the middle collapsed previously, and Dare County purchased and removed the round house on the left last month. (Photo by Corinne Saunders)
By Corinne Saunders
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BUXTON — An unoccupied, privately owned house in Buxton that Dare County was attempting to purchase for removal collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday night amid hazardous coastal conditions.
This collapse marks the 21st unoccupied, privately owned house collapse since mid-September and the 32nd such collapse since 2020, according to Cape Hatteras National Seashore records.
Debris from the house that collapsed the night of Tuesday, June 2, 2026, is seen Wednesday morning. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)
In an early Wednesday morning press release, Cape Hatteras National Seashore strongly urged visitors to avoid the beach and to stay out of the ocean from Buxton village south to the Cape Point area.
“Varying amounts of hazardous large and small debris litter the beach to the south of the collapse site,” the release said. “Due to public safety concerns, all beach access from the north end of Buxton through the lifeguarded beach is temporarily closed until park rangers can assess the area.”
The collapsed house was located at 46000 Ocean Drive, according to the release.
This is the address of the second house Dare County was attempting to purchase for $250,000 to facilitate a less hazardous removal in advance of the county’s planned beach nourishment project, as Outer Banks Insider previously reported.
Dare County offered $250,000 to each of two Buxton property owners, but only the 46226 Oramar Drive owner signed the bill of sale, Assistant County Manager Dustin Peele said last Thursday.
“The $250,000 reflects the amount the property owners’ insurance would pay out if the structure were to fall in the ocean,” Peele had said. “By the county taking ownership, we can better control the debris field and ensure it doesn’t get strewn up and down the surf zone.”
Contractors demolish and remove a house located on Oramar Drive in Buxton on Monday, May 18, 2026, which Dare County purchased as part of its debris-clearing process ahead of the planned beach nourishment project in Buxton. (Photo courtesy Dare County)
The county purchased and removed the Oramar Drive round house built in 1984, and was continuing to work with the Ocean Drive property owner and their lender, Peele had said.
County records show a Maryland mailing address for the Ocean Drive property owner. That house was built in 1992.
Tuesday was a red flag day, signifying a high rip current risk, for beaches south of Oregon Inlet. The Outer Banks area experienced strong winds and large breaking waves, and portions of N.C. Highway 12 in Buxton experienced ocean overwash.
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