How crews moved a 264,500-pound home away from erosion in the Outer Banks
Since 2020, 31 privately owned homes have collapsed along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore due to erosion and storm impacts, most in villages near Rodanthe and Buxton.
Crews moved a 264,500-pound oceanfront home inland in Buxton, North Carolina, between March 11 and March 30 to protect it from coastal erosion. The house was relocated about 150 feet from the shore.
An aerial view shows what it takes to save a home along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where rising seas and coastal erosion continue to threaten oceanfront structures.
A time-lapse video by Jenni Koonz of Epic Shutter Photographer captured crews moving a home in Buxton away from crashing waves. Koonz said the move took place between March 11 and March 30.
“After three weeks of efforts, this 264,500-pound oceanfront home was finally moved to its new lot away from the ocean. It was moved approximately 150 feet west and then 100 feet north,” she said.
Aerial views of a Buxton, North Carolina home being moved about 150-feet away from the ocean in March 2026. (Image: Jenni Koonz of Epic Shutter Photographer via Storyful)
The relocation comes as coastal erosion continues to take a toll. Since 2020, 31 privately owned homes have collapsed along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore due to erosion and storm impacts, most in villages near Rodanthe and Buxton.
Most recently, a bomb cyclone sent four homes crashing into the ocean, underscoring the urgency of moving vulnerable structures. Those were the first collapses since October.
Efforts are underway to reduce the risk of additional losses, including a planned jetty rebuild and another beach renourishment project in Buxton. Cape Hatteras National Seashore also issued a permit to Dare County this week to repair the southernmost groin structure.
According to the National Park Service, the structure is one of three groins constructed in 1970 to combat coastal erosion and protect the former Naval Facility Cape Hatteras.
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