On Friday, residents of Rodanthe in North Carolina’s Outer Banks witnessed another unfortunate but increasingly common occurrence: a house collapsed into the ocean.
The combination of high tides and waves from Hurricane Ernesto, hundreds of miles away, contributed to the recent collapse on Hatteras Island in Rodanthe. No one was reportedly in the house at the time.
Rodanthe, a community of about 184 residents, has lost seven homes to the sea in the past four years, according to the National Park Service. Much of that is due to climate change, according to the New York Times.
Officials warn that more homes are at risk as Ernesto continues to impact the East Coast, although the storm is not expected to make landfall in the United States. The National Hurricane Center warned that Ernesto would bring potentially “life-threatening” rip currents and high waves to the East Coast, particularly in North Carolina and South Carolina, over the next few days.
Here are some photos of the aftermath of Friday’s house collapse — as well as images of Rodanthe’s coastal erosion over the years.