Rodanthe beach cleanup underway for collapsed house debris

Published 12:18 pm Wednesday, March 22, 2023

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Debris from a collapsed house on East Point Drive in Rodanthe is piled for pickup. The house collapsed around noon on Monday, March 13, 2023. Individuals started piling up debris almost immediately. The National Park Service brought 60 park service employees from headquarters in Manteo and Wright Brothers National Memorial along with maintenance workers on Wednesday, March 15 to sweep the beach. The clean-up continued with a formal volunteer effort on Thursday. National Park Service photo

On March 15, 2023, National Park Service employees gather at Off-Road Vehicle Ramp 23 south of Salvo for safety instructions prior to cleaning debris from a house collapse on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore beach in Rodanthe. National Park Service photo

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Around noon on March 13, 2023, an oceanfront house in Rodanthe collapsed in the Atlantic.

A posting from the Cape Hatteras National Seashore says “We’re also thankful for the many Dare County residents, Seashore visitors and National Park Service Volunteers-In-Parks, that have supported cleanup efforts as early as minutes after the March 13 house collapse. We appreciate the help.”

Along with volunteers, the National Park Service has been active with cleanup efforts. On Wednesday, March 15, over 60 park service employees were on the beach with a fleet of white pickup trucks picking up debris and hauling it to the staging area in the parking lot at Ramp 23, just south of Salvo.

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As of March 16, the cleaning volunteers and employees have hauled debris that filled 67 pickup trucks. One dumpster and six dump trucks were filled for the long trip to Dare County’s landfill on the mainland.

The debris field stretches 21 miles to the south end of Avon.

On Thursday, the park service started using the new beach rake, a bright lime green machine that rakes up small pieces of debris that may be buried under sand. The rake worked at the top of the beach on Friday.

The park service has been in touch with a representative of the owner of the collapsed house at 23228 East Point Drive in Rodanthe. A plan for a cleanup is anticipated.

Individuals who plan to continue cleaning the beach should place garbage bags and debris well above the high tide line to ensure the items don’t get washed back into the ocean.

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