A video showing a beach house being swept into the ocean has been circulating on social media.
The base of the stilts can be seen partially submerged in the water in the video. Within seconds of being filmed, the stilts give way, and the house falls into the ocean.
The house was located along the coast in Outer Banks, Rodanthe, and was not occupied at the time of collapse, according to the US National Park Service.
—Cape Hatteras National Seashore (@CapeHatterasNPS) May 10, 2022
The video has over 10 million views.
—Andy Horowitz (@andydhorowitz) May 10, 2022
Maybe beachfront houses are not as good as they seem.
—Warren Commission Test Skull (@conzmoleman) May 10, 2022
The safety and environmental risks of such homes are not taken into account when they are sold.
—moon cake candy flipping (@br0k3nhalos) May 10, 2022
The home was last sold in November 2020 for $275,000 according to the listing accessed by Insider, though it was given a Zestimate of $381,200. The listing was taken down.
—Rebecca Hersher (@rhersher) May 10, 2022
Insider reported that in the past year, Zillow has drawn flak over its property valuation figures.
The home valuations are based on a mix of public and listing service data. Zestimates have been a key feature of the company's website since 2006 but there are growing doubts about their accuracy after reports emerged that Zestimates can be manipulated to show an inflated value.
The second oceanfront home to collapse this week was on Ocean Drive. This has been an ongoing concern since 2020.
At a meeting hosted by the National Park Service and county officials, it was noted that 11 other homes in the area are at risk of being washed away.
The houses are falling because of erosion. Michael Flynn, a physical scientist with the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, told WTKR News 3 that the beach eroded by over 300 feet between 1998 and 2019.
Officials are working with homeowners who are at risk of relocation or removal to make sure that they don't have to.
The National Parks of Eastern North Carolina reached out to homeowners along Ocean Drive in Rodanthe after the first house collapse and recommended that actions be taken to prevent collapse.
Insider did not get a response from Cape Hatteras National Seashore or Zillow.
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