At least 5 coastal homes collapse into Atlantic Ocean as hurricanes churn offshore

BUXTON, N.C. (WWBT/Gray News) - Several houses along North Carolina’s Outer Banks collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday as two hurricanes churned offshore.

Officials with Cape Hatteras National Seashore said five oceanfront homes collapsed in Buxton within a 60-minute time frame, beginning at around 2 p.m. Tuesday.

No injuries have been reported, authorities said.

Also on Tuesday, the North Carolina Department of Transportation closed Highway 12 on Ocracoke Island due to high winds and overwash from Hurricane Imelda.

The highway is expected to remain closed until at least Thursday morning.

Imelda and Hurricane Humberto are not forecast to make landfall in the U.S. and are tracking toward Bermuda.

Numerous homes have collapsed into the ocean in this part of the Outer Banks in recent years. This includes a house that fell into the Atlantic Ocean in Buxton earlier this month due to Hurricane Erin.