A third house has collapsed within a week on the Outer Banks island of Hatteras in North Carolina as storms grow in intensity and rising sea levels encroach on beachfront homes.

North Carolina park officials warned swimmers and surfers to avoid the beaches in Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo due to the debris floating amid the waves. Additionally, beachgoers should wear protective shoes when walking along the 70-mile stretch of shoreline that includes the beach in front of Rodanthe to avoid injuries from nails sticking out of wooden debris, warned rangers on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

The collapse of the unoccupied house, which occurred Tuesday afternoon, comes after two other beachfront houses in Rodanthe collapsed within hours of one another on Friday.

Another house collapses in Outer Banks

The unoccupied house on G.A. Kohler Court collapsed around 1 p.m. Tuesday, the National Park Service said in its statement. The owner of the house has hired a debris cleanup contractor, while Seashore employees plan on assisting with cleanup efforts.

Seashore authorities have closed the beach from G A Kohler Court in Rodanthe to Wimble Shores North Court in Waves because of the debris littering both the beach and in the water. Photographs shared by the park service show the damaged home, as well as crumbled piles of debris.

No injuries were reported from the collapse.

Two houses collapse Friday in Rodanthe

The home became the fifth privately-owned house to collapse on the island just this year – and tenth since 2020 – after two others collapsed just days prior.

In the early morning hours on Friday, an unoccupied house on G A Kohler Court collapsed. Officials began monitoring an adjacent house that had sustained damage before it also collapsed later that same night, the National Park Service said in an online news release.

In the initial aftermath, debris was observed at least 20 miles south of the collapse sites, an official told USA TODAY.

What is causing the houses to collapse?

The village of Rodanthe – as well as others adjacent to the seashore – have been especially susceptible to coastal erosion caused by a combination of winds, waves, tides and rising seas, park officials have said.

Elevated beach-style homes sitting atop pilings were once protected by dunes and dry sand. But in recent years, the bases of many of these homes have been “either partially or fully covered with ocean water on a regular basis,” according to the park service.

When the houses are battered by strong winds and large waves, the water erodes the sand supporting the homes, increasing the chance of collapse.

Contributing: Ahjané Forbes, Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com

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