In yet another example of government failure to protect private property, a vacant vacation home on North Carolina’s coast was swept into the ocean after high surf and king tides pounded the vulnerable shores. Captured on camera, the collapse underscores the increasing threat to beachfront homes along the state’s eastern shores, particularly in the small community of Rodanthe.
The footage, which has circulated widely, shows the house’s stilts being battered by relentless waves until they buckled, sending the entire structure crashing into the surf. The home briefly floated before breaking apart into debris that washed ashore. This marks one of several homes that have met a similar fate in recent months, and yet, the government has been slow to provide real solutions to homeowners who are watching their investments literally sink into the ocean.
According to reports, at least four homes have collapsed into the sea this year alone, bringing the total to seven since 2020 in Rodanthe. Residents are growing increasingly frustrated as the state and federal governments seem incapable of addressing the escalating erosion crisis along the coastline.
Jake Overton, a local resident, expressed disbelief at the speed at which homes are disappearing. “We had no idea it would happen that quick,” he said, echoing a sentiment felt by many homeowners who have seen their properties crumble before their eyes.
The situation in Rodanthe illustrates a broader failure of both state and federal agencies to protect coastal communities from erosion, a natural disaster exacerbated by ineffective government policies. While private homeowners are expected to shoulder the burden of costly repairs or risk losing their homes, bureaucratic red tape prevents them from taking proactive measures. This has left many families in a bind—unable to protect their investments and forced to watch as their homes are claimed by the sea.
Some frustrated property owners have taken matters into their own hands, writing to officials like U.S. Congressman Greg Murphy, demanding action. In a letter to state and regional officials, homeowners suggested the National Park Service (NPS) should step in to purchase at-risk properties at a reduced valuation, much like it did with two previous homes that were removed from the coastline. Yet, such solutions remain tied up in bureaucratic processes, leaving residents without the support they need.
David Montag, a vacationer who witnessed a recent home collapse, described the event as surreal. “It was crazy. I’ve never seen anything like it. The power of the ocean is amazing,” he remarked, standing on a beach littered with debris.
Debris from these collapses has reportedly spread over five miles along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. David Hallac, the Superintendent of the Seashore, noted that high erosion rates are causing the homes to lose their foundations. But instead of working on real solutions, Hallac merely points out the obvious, stating that moving or removing homes is a “costly endeavor” for homeowners—a fact those living on the coast know all too well.
Congressman Greg Murphy, a vocal advocate for property owners, has taken a stand against the ineffective policies of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which requires homeowners to wait until disaster strikes before they can seek assistance. “The fact that homeowners have to wait until their property falls into the ocean before they can utilize the National Flood Insurance Program is ridiculous,” Murphy said in a statement. His *Prevent Environmental Hazards Act*, currently under consideration in Congress, aims to allow homeowners to act before an emergency occurs, a common-sense measure that could save taxpayer dollars, protect private property, and reduce environmental damage.
While government officials continue to drag their feet, coastal communities like Rodanthe are left to fend for themselves. The slow response and bureaucratic inertia are emblematic of a larger trend in which government prioritizes red tape over real solutions. Homeowners, meanwhile, are left paying the price—literally—as their homes are claimed by the sea.
