Along a stretch of Hatteras Island where waves crash against hollowed-out pilings and fragments of vinyl siding scattered in the surf, cleanup crews are racing to clear what remains of nine oceanfront homes that collapsed into the Atlantic in just one week.  

More than 360 truckloads of debris have already been hauled away from Buxton’s beaches, a staggering amount of wreckage from a cluster of houses built decades ago when the shoreline stretched much farther east.

The homes, some standing since the 1970s, fell as back-to-back offshore storms and unusually high tides chewed through the dune line. Propane tanks, mattresses and insulation were among the debris swept into the sea, much of it carried south along the coast by strong currents.

“This is a level of destruction we haven’t seen before,” said Dave Hallac, superintendent of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. “Some of the structures that remain are unstable, and it would not be surprising if additional homes collapse.”

National Park Service staff and volunteers have spent more than a week clearing the beach, despite the ongoing federal government shutdown. Hallac said between 20 and 40 employees have worked daily, joined by local civic groups and local residents.

While the most visible wreckage is gone, the risk has shifted below the surface. Officials confirmed eight septic washouts where wastewater systems ruptured due to the foundations giving way. The agency closed a two-mile stretch of beach in Buxton due to unsafe conditions and potential contamination, warning residents to stay out of the water.

“The smell of sewage was noticeable near several collapse sites,” Hallac said, noting that while the bacteria dissipate quickly, the area remains off-limits.

For Dare County, which manages the local cleanup, the collapse zone has become a costly and constant challenge. Crews are working to finish roadside debris hauling by the end of the week — before another coastal storm, coupled with king tides, threatens to undo that progress.

“We have to get that debris out of here,” said County Manager Bobby Outten, who confirmed that contractors are expected to complete the work before the weekend. “We don’t know what’s going to happen with this weather, but we don’t want it to spread out the debris we just spent a week cleaning up.”

The county plans to begin a $45 million beach nourishment project next spring to rebuild the dune system and buffer Highway 12, the only road on and off Hatteras Island. The project, funded through a local storm reserve and occupancy tax, was originally scheduled for 2027 but was moved up after erosion rates doubled in recent years.

“We’ve seen significant shoreline loss in Buxton,” Outten said. “We’re trying to get the sand back on a five-year cycle, but erosion has accelerated so much we’re now working on a three-year plan.”

That effort reflects a broader dilemma along North Carolina’s coast — how to preserve infrastructure and communities built on shifting sand. Federal and local rules prohibit hardened structures like seawalls, leaving beach nourishment as the only defense. But it’s an expensive, temporary fix that must be repeated as storms intensify and sea levels rise.

“Where you weren’t seeing water 20 years ago, you’re seeing water today,” said Reide Corbett, executive director of the Coastal Studies Institute, who has tracked erosion in the area for decades. “We’ve added a foot of sea level since many of these houses were built. That may not seem like much, but when you put a storm on top of it, it changes everything.”

With another nor’easter-like system expected to bring 40- to 50-mile-per-hour gusts and flooding this weekend, officials worry the next collapse could come soon.

Cleanup crews are moving as fast as possible, hoping to finish before the tide rises again.