NPS debris cleanup to resume Monday along Buxton shoreline following latest coastal storm

National Park Service (NPS) beach cleanup operations are set to resume Monday in Buxton, where NPS personnel will once again begin clearing debris from the shoreline after last week’s coastal storm.

While no homes collapsed during the latest event, officials say new structural debris and damaged materials have washed ashore—some likely remnants from earlier oceanfront home collapses.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) Superintendent David Hallac said that the latest debris field is concentrated in the same heavily impacted stretch near the Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) property, and extends south toward Cape Point.

Despite the ongoing federal government shutdown, cleanup work will proceed with a team of roughly 20 NPS staff members beginning Monday morning, October 20.

“We have a significant amount of additional debris, and it is heaviest in the middle of the beach near the FUDS property,” Hallac said. “Some debris has washed ashore from in and around the houses that collapsed, and some had been buried by the sand.”

Hallac said the team will focus on a 2.5-mile section of shoreline from Cape Point north to the FUDS site, removing as much debris as possible through the week.

“A lot of debris is also piled up again next to the first groin, or southernmost jetty—a substantial amount,” Hallac added. “What we’re starting to see more of is small and medium-sized debris—pieces and fragments of cedar shake shingles, filling from upholstery, plastic blinds, quite a few electrical outlets near the lighthouse site, and a lot of smaller materials like drywall and wood fragments.”

Since September 2025, nine oceanfront homes have collapsed along this stretch of Buxton beach, scattering household materials and construction debris across the shoreline.

Following the most recent eight collapses in mid-October, CHNS personnel and local volunteers removed more than 360 truckloads of debris from the area, one of the most extensive cleanup operations in recent history.

Last week’s coastal storm, which brought powerful northeast winds and repeated ocean overwash events, uncovered new debris that had been previously buried or trapped in the surf zone. While most of the larger structural remains have been removed, Hallac said the smaller fragments are more challenging and time-consuming to collect.

“These fragments can be just as harmful,” Hallac said. “They may not be as visible as larger pieces, but they’re still hazardous to marine life and can make their way into the surf or dunes if not collected.”

Cleanup efforts are expected to continue throughout the week as weather allows. Visitors are asked to avoid debris piles and use caution when walking or fishing along the affected stretch of shoreline.

Photos below of Buxton shoreline on Saturday morning by Don Bowers.