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Tag: North Carolina Outer Banks

  • Eerie videos show ground wiggling like Jell-O on NC’s Outer Banks. What is it?

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    A substance resembling snow became crawling out of the Atlantic Ocean in Kitty Hawk on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, video shows.

    A substance resembling snow became crawling out of the Atlantic Ocean in Kitty Hawk on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, video shows.

    Cory Goodwin Photography video screengrab

    The Outer Banks of North Carolina stand guard over a treacherous stretch of ocean known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, so it’s almost fitting that something supernatural has been crawling out of the surf just ahead of Halloween.

    Multiple videos posted the last week of October show sections of ground wiggling and popping in the village of Kitty Hawk.

    Stranger still, bits have been recorded breaking off and floating into the air – like snowfall in reverse.

    The explanation is both simple and a little unsettling.

    It’s sea foam – but in quantity large enough to be compared to a blizzard.

    “This has been the wildest fall weather wise since I moved here 21 years ago,” KC Innis commented on one of the videos.

    “You never know what you’re going to get at the Outer Banks,” Terri Christine posted.

    “That’s crazy! I’ve never seen that happen,” Tammie Gilliam Morris wrote.

    The videos were shared during a week that saw five beach homes fall into the ocean in one day, and the coastal highway NC 12 closed for flooding.

    Atlantic storms are driving the chaos, with 55-mph gusts and 15-foot waves reported the day many of the videos were recorded. Coastal flooding was also forecast for the islands, with some areas seeing up to 3 feet of water, the National Weather Service said.

    Sea foam is the result of such agitation, experts say.

    “Sea foam is a natural substance borne from a combination of decomposing organic matter and agitation, (i.e., decaying plants meet waves and wind) … These act as a surfactant, or surface-acting agent, which reduces tension on water molecules, creating bubbles,” the Ocean Conservancy reports.

    “Generally, sea foam is harmless (albeit loaded with bacteria), but there are instances where sea foam can be dangerous. In cases where the water itself has a higher concentration of toxins, sea foam can pose a larger threat. … When those bubbles pop, the toxins can become airborne and compromise the air that is breathed in that location.”

    Kitty Hawk is about a 205-mile drive northeast from Raleigh.

    .

    Mark Price

    The Charlotte Observer

    Mark Price is a National Reporter for McClatchy News. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology.

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    Mark Price

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  • Eerie videos show ground wiggling like Jell-O on NC’s Outer Banks. What is it?

    [ad_1]

    A substance resembling snow became crawling out of the Atlantic Ocean in Kitty Hawk on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, video shows.

    A substance resembling snow became crawling out of the Atlantic Ocean in Kitty Hawk on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, video shows.

    Cory Goodwin Photography video screengrab

    The Outer Banks of North Carolina stand guard over a treacherous stretch of ocean known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, so it’s almost fitting that something supernatural has been crawling out of the surf just ahead of Halloween.

    Multiple videos posted the last week of October show sections of ground wiggling and popping in the village of Kitty Hawk.

    Stranger still, bits have been recorded breaking off and floating into the air – like snowfall in reverse.

    The explanation is both simple and a little unsettling.

    It’s sea foam – but in quantity large enough to be compared to a blizzard.

    “This has been the wildest fall weather wise since I moved here 21 years ago,” KC Innis commented on one of the videos.

    “You never know what you’re going to get at the Outer Banks,” Terri Christine posted.

    “That’s crazy! I’ve never seen that happen,” Tammie Gilliam Morris wrote.

    The videos were shared during a week that saw five beach homes fall into the ocean in one day, and the coastal highway NC 12 closed for flooding.

    Atlantic storms are driving the chaos, with 55-mph gusts and 15-foot waves reported the day many of the videos were recorded. Coastal flooding was also forecast for the islands, with some areas seeing up to 3 feet of water, the National Weather Service said.

    Sea foam is the result of such agitation, experts say.

    “Sea foam is a natural substance borne from a combination of decomposing organic matter and agitation, (i.e., decaying plants meet waves and wind) … These act as a surfactant, or surface-acting agent, which reduces tension on water molecules, creating bubbles,” the Ocean Conservancy reports.

    “Generally, sea foam is harmless (albeit loaded with bacteria), but there are instances where sea foam can be dangerous. In cases where the water itself has a higher concentration of toxins, sea foam can pose a larger threat. … When those bubbles pop, the toxins can become airborne and compromise the air that is breathed in that location.”

    Kitty Hawk is about a 205-mile drive northeast from Raleigh.

    .

    This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 6:31 AM.

    Mark Price

    The Charlotte Observer

    Mark Price is a National Reporter for McClatchy News. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology.

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  • Empty boat washes up on Outer Banks a day after it fatally capsized, NC cops say

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    A boat involved in a fatal accident in Oregon Inlet was found washed ashore at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina investigators say.

    A boat involved in a fatal accident in Oregon Inlet was found washed ashore at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina investigators say.


    Photo by Sgt. Anna E. Barbosa /NC Wildlife Resources Commission

    A derelict vessel found beached on the Outer Banks is linked to a fatal boating incident that occurred the day before in Oregon Inlet, according to North Carolina investigators.

    The vessel was discovered Sunday, Oct. 19, at the north end of Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, the N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission said.

    An investigation has revealed Francis Hennigan Jr., 50, and Taylor Flannery, 29, were aboard when it flipped Saturday afternoon in Oregon Inlet, the commission said in a news release.

    “Both occupants were thrown into the water without life jackets,” state officials said.

    “Flannery was recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard and transported to Outer Banks Hospital with minor injuries. Hennigan was located shortly afterward in the water, unresponsive, and was pronounced deceased by medical personnel.”

    Hennigan lived in Glenmoore, Pennsylvania, and Flannery is from Point Pleasant, New Jersey, officials said.

    The men were in the process of “transporting a 50-foot sportfishing vessel from Cape May, N.J. to Florida” when they decided to stop in Beaufort, N.C., to have a damaged prop repaired, officials said.

    An investigation is underway to determine what caused the boat to flip over.

    “The vessel was under power from three of the four engines at the time of the incident,” investigators say.

    Oregon Inlet is a passage between Bodie and Pea islands that links the Pamlico Sound to the Atlantic Ocean.

    The channel is about a 200-mile drive east from Raleigh.

    Mark Price

    The Charlotte Observer

    Mark Price is a National Reporter for McClatchy News. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology.

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    Mark Price

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  • Destruction continues as 11th Outer Banks home falls into ocean, NC park says

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    The nail-filled debris from collapsed homes is known to drift for miles and wash ashore at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the National Park Service says.

    The nail-filled debris from collapsed homes is known to drift for miles and wash ashore at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the National Park Service says.

    National Park Service photo

    Houses are continuing to fall at a record rate on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, with the 11th since mid-September collapsing overnight, Cape Hatteras National Seashore reports.

    It happened around 7:45 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, and the home was at 46006 Cottage Avenue in Buxton, the park reported. It was unoccupied at the time, officials said.

    Weather conditions at the time included a flood advisory, with predictions of large ocean swells and hours of overwash, the National Weather Service says.

    The cottage was built in 1956, valued at around $500,000, and the current homeowner purchased it in May, Zillow.com reports.

    It is the fourth to fall since Sept. 30 on Cottage Avenue, data shows. The other seven this year were on G.A. Kohler Court in Rodanthe and Tower Circle Road in Buxton, officials said.

    In all, 22 homes have collapsed in the area since 2020, the National Park Service says.

    Dozens more remain vulnerable in both towns, resulting in the National Park Service closing two sections of beach for safety reasons.

    Coastal erosion and sea level rise are driving the crisis, which involves “elevated beach-style homes situated on piling,” park officials say.

    “During severe weather events, which the Outer Banks of North Carolina experiences throughout the year, privately-owned oceanfront houses in vulnerable areas get battered by strong winds and large waves, leading to the collapse,” park officials says.

    It is common for the nail-filled debris to drift for miles and wash ashore on National Park Service beaches.

    Mark Price

    The Charlotte Observer

    Mark Price is a National Reporter for McClatchy News. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology.

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    Mark Price

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  • Destruction continues as 11th Outer Banks home falls into ocean, NC park says

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    The nail-filled debris from collapsed homes is known to drift for miles and wash ashore at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the National Park Service says.

    The nail-filled debris from collapsed homes is known to drift for miles and wash ashore at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the National Park Service says.

    National Park Service photo

    Houses are continuing to fall at a record rate on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, with the 11th since mid-September collapsing overnight, Cape Hatteras National Seashore reports.

    It happened around 7:45 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, and the home was at 46006 Cottage Avenue in Buxton, the park reported. It was unoccupied at the time, officials said.

    Weather conditions at the time included a flood advisory, with predictions of large ocean swells and hours of overwash, the National Weather Service says.

    The cottage was built in 1956, valued at around $500,000, and the current homeowner purchased it in May, Zillow.com reports.

    It is the fourth to fall since Sept. 30 on Cottage Avenue, data shows. The other seven this year were on G.A. Kohler Court in Rodanthe and Tower Circle Road in Buxton, officials said.

    In all, 22 homes have collapsed in the area since 2020, the National Park Service says.

    Dozens more remain vulnerable in both towns, resulting in the National Park Service closing two sections of beach for safety reasons.

    Coastal erosion and sea level rise are driving the crisis, which involves “elevated beach-style homes situated on piling,” park officials say.

    “During severe weather events, which the Outer Banks of North Carolina experiences throughout the year, privately-owned oceanfront houses in vulnerable areas get battered by strong winds and large waves, leading to the collapse,” park officials says.

    It is common for the nail-filled debris to drift for miles and wash ashore on National Park Service beaches.

    Mark Price

    The Charlotte Observer

    Mark Price is a National Reporter for McClatchy News. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology.

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    Mark Price

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  • 5 Outer Banks homes crumble as 2 hurricanes churn in the Atlantic, NC park says

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    Wind and waves associated with Hurricane Humberto pulled multiple homes into the Atlantic along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, officials said.

    Wind and waves associated with Hurricane Humberto pulled multiple homes into the Atlantic along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, officials said.

    National Park Service photo

    Wind gusts and 12-foot swells joined forces to pull five Outer Banks homes into the ocean as Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda churned the Atlantic, North Carolina officials say.

    It happened between 2 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, and the homes were located on Cottage Avenue and Tower Circle Road in Buxton, according to Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

    Video shared on social media shows pilings holding up the homes snapped, leaving the structures to break apart as they bobbed in the surf and slammed into each other. Walls of debris were seen washing ashore.

    None of the homes were occupied and no injuries were reported as of 4 p.m., the National Park Service said.

    “Seashore visitors are urged to stay away from the collapsed house sites and to use caution for miles to the south of the sites, due to the presence of potentially hazardous debris,” the park reported in a news release.

    “This is an ongoing incident; further collapses are possible due to the ocean conditions.”

    The fallen homes were located at: 46001 Cottage Avenue; 46002 Cottage Avenue; 46007 Cottage Avenue; 46209 Tower Circle Road and 46211 Tower Circle Road, park officials said.

    All five were located precariously close to the ocean, due to beach erosion.

    At least 17 homes at Cape Hatteras National Seashore have collapsed into the Atlantic over the past five years, including one earlier in September on Tower Circle Road, officials say.

    The collapses occurred as the Outer Banks feels the impact of 45 mph gusts and 12-foot waves associated with Hurricane Humberto, according to the National Weather Service.

    Forecasters say the strengthening Hurricane Imelda to the south is adding to the rising surf and potential for coastal flooding.

    N.C. 12, the major highway connecting the barrier islands, was closed Tuesday at the north end of Ocracoke Island due to “increasing ocean overwash,” the N.C. DOT said. The road is expected to remain closed until Thursday, Oct. 2, state officials said.

    The storms are expected to remain offshore, but tropical-storm-force winds are extending more than 200 miles from Humberto’s center, forecasters say.

    “Swells from Humberto are likely to cause dangerous surf and life-threatening rip current conditions, affecting … much of the east coast of the United States over the next several days,” the National Weather Service said Tuesday.

    This story was originally published September 30, 2025 at 4:56 PM.

    Mark Price

    The Charlotte Observer

    Mark Price is a National Reporter for McClatchy News. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology.

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    Mark Price

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  • Tracking the Tropics: Hurricane Erin passes Jacksonville’s latitude Wednesday hundreds of miles away

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    Hurricane Erin tracks north in the W. Atlantic, passing Jacksonville’s latitude midday today almost 500 miles away.

    • Tropical Storm Warnings and Storm Surge Warnings are in effect for the North Carolina Outer Banks.

    • Erin lifts away from the U.S. and into the North Atlantic on Friday.

    • Two other tropical waves are in the Central Atlantic way behind Erin.

    • At this time, long-range forecast models either keep these systems out to sea, or don’t even develop them.

    • We have time to track these areas and the next name on the 2025 list is Fernand (pronounced fair-NAHN).

    • Besides Erin, there is no threat to Florida for at least a week (and potentially longer).

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