A beachfront home collapsed into the ocean, spreading debris across miles of the North Carolina shore

• A beachfront home in Rodanthe, North Carolina, collapsed into the ocean, officials said Wednesday.
• Debris from the collapse has spread more than seven miles, according to the National Park Service.

A beachfront home partially collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean, scattering debris across miles of the North Carolina coast, federal officials said Wednesday.

The majority of the wreckage from the one-time Outer Banks vacation rental is primarily being pushed between Rodanthe and Salvo in Dare County, according to a statement from the National Park Service.

Park officials warned visitors to exercise caution while frequenting the 4-mile stretch along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Smaller amounts of debris have been spotted more than seven miles away further south, the National Park Service said.

The National Park Service said it is working with Dare County to coordinate the removal of the collapsed home, as well as the resulting debris.

The house was a five-bedroom home built in 1980, according to records first reported on by NBC affiliate WAVY in Portsmouth, Virginia.

A former Surf or Sound Reality rental website lists several of the home's previous amenities, including an outdoor hot tub, a covered porch, playground equipment, and porch swing.

The collapse comes less than a year after another beachfront home in Rodanthe completely vanished in May 2020. Officials discovered the home had washed away after a man walking his dog stumbled upon debris along the shoreline.

Vanishing beach properties have been an increasing problem in the area as coastal erosion pushes older homes closer to the water's edge, WAVY reported.

In 2020, researchers at the European Union's Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy, found that half the world's beaches could vanish by the end of the century because of extreme storms and rising sea levels.