Dozens of North Carolina houses have been lost to the sea. Some surviving homes are now being moved on wheels

On Hatteras Island, a narrow strip of land extending from North Carolina's coast, the phrase "moving house" has taken on a distinctly literal meaning. Following a series of dramatic home collapses into the Atlantic Ocean, entire structures are now being physically relocated on wheels to escape the rapidly advancing shoreline.

Since September, 19 residential properties have succumbed to powerful waves that ripped them from their foundation pilings. These homes crashed into neighboring structures in chain-reaction fashion before ultimately breaking apart in the ocean. The escalating crisis has led concerned property owners to seek the specialized services of Barry Crum, a Hatteras native who has emerged as the island's primary house relocation specialist.

Crum and his compact crew currently have more than a dozen homes scheduled for either relocation or elevation on higher stilts. During a recent April afternoon, they were positioning another substantial residence onto support girders, preparing to transport it several hundred feet inland from the threatening surf. The property, fittingly named Cape Point Retreat, exemplifies the extraordinary measures now required for coastal survival.

"The demand has reached unprecedented levels," Crum explained. "While I've witnessed significant coastal changes throughout my career, this rate of erosion is unlike anything I've experienced previously. I'm grateful to provide this service to help the community, but the situation our neighbors face is truly devastating."

Coastal erosion represents a longstanding challenge for the Outer Banks, a series of continuously shifting barrier islands that includes Hatteras. Certain areas lose more than 10 feet of shoreline annually to ocean encroachment.

This dynamic environment has historically presented settlement challenges. The iconic Cape Hatteras lighthouse required relocation in 1999—a project that included Crum's father—after losing over 1,000 feet of protective beachfront.

However, recent erosion patterns have shocked even longtime residents. The phenomenon completely eliminated Buxton's beach and sand dunes while consuming portions of residential neighborhoods. On particularly severe days, substantial waves toppled homes with alarming speed—September 30th witnessed five house collapses within a 45-minute period.

"The structure was visibly tilting, accompanied by a distinctive crackling sound resembling lightning," described Hunter Hicks, a local resident who documented one of four homes lost during early February. "Ten-foot waves continuously struck the building until it began its complete collapse, creating an explosive sound that's difficult to articulate."

Hicks added, "Our island continues to shrink progressively. Without relocating these structures, we'll likely lose an additional 20 properties by year's end."

Addressing such rapid coastal loss presents immediate challenges for Outer Banks communities while serving as a preview of future conditions for other vulnerable East Coast areas as climate change accelerates sea-level rise.

"Environmental changes are occurring at an accelerated pace," stated Laura Moore, a coastal dynamics expert at the University of North Carolina. The increasing rate of sea-level rise positions Outer Banks coastal regions as "canaries in the coal mine" for other Eastern seaboard communities.

"We're observing urgent efforts to address these changes," Moore noted. "However, no simple solutions exist. With rising sea levels and mobile coastal landscapes, no long-term methods can permanently stabilize conditions along the entire Eastern seaboard."

Since 2020, Hatteras Island has lost 31 homes, yet this hasn't generated widespread despair among residents. The Outer Banks—a bow-shaped chain of barrier islands measuring barely one mile wide in places—has always demanded resilience and adaptability from its inhabitants.

The Wright brothers achieved their first controlled flights at Kitty Hawk in the northern Outer Banks, while numerous pirate-themed establishments commemorate the era when Blackbeard operated from Ocracoke Island. Today, sandbags line sections of Ocracoke's sole highway in ongoing efforts to prevent flooding.

Periodic disruption of Highway 12 by advancing water or sand can isolate Outer Banks residents from the mainland, leaving only lengthy ferry connections available. Local businesses embrace this reality with humor, selling T-shirts referencing the situation and operating establishments like the aptly named Swept Away Cafe.

Nevertheless, challenges became inevitable once permanent infrastructure was established within this naturally dynamic environment. During the 1930s, federal authorities began constructing artificial sand dunes along the ocean-facing shores to stabilize beach positions.