MANTEO, N.C. — Community members are invited to help members of Cape Hatteras National Seashore staff clean up some of the collapsed house debris.
Residents willing to give a helping hand can participate in volunteer events from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. on May 12 and Friday, May 13.
All four volunteer events are scheduled to begin at the Outer Banks KOA Resort, 25099 N.C. Highway 12, Rodanthe, N.C.
Supplies will be provided by the National Park Service for these organized efforts to help clean up debris associated with Monday’s house collapses.
Volunteers are encouraged to wear “thick-soled footwear” as wood pieces have washed up on the beach exposing nails.
Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Volunteers should place garbage bags and debris well above the high tide line to ensure the items don’t get washed back into the ocean.
At this time, N.C. Highway 12 between the Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe is closed. The Seashore is also bringing in a National Park Service cleanup team through its regional office.
Several homes have collapsed over the years on the Outer Banks, as erosion has left many homes built years ago now right at the edge of the ocean. Records show both homes that fell on Tuesday were built in the 1980s.
Officials have spent millions on beach nourishment, but that hasn’t stopped the ocean from pulling a few houses into its clutches.