Winter storm results in four more Outer Banks homes slipping into the sea

RALEIGH, N.C. (CN) — North Carolina was besieged by snow over the weekend, with coastal and western areas seeing snow ranging from a few inches up to over a foot.

Along the coast, northeastern North Carolina saw six to nine inches of snow, with totals reaching 19 inches near New Bern, according to the National Weather Service. Raleigh received only a few inches Saturday after snow largely missed the capital city Friday night, while a resort community near the Tennessee border reported more than 22 inches Sunday morning.

The winter weather also battered the Outer Banks, where hurricane-strength winds caused flooding, closed portions of the main highway, suspended ferry routes and pushed more beachfront homes into the Atlantic Ocean.

Four unoccupied houses collapsed during the storm, Cape Hatteras National Seashore reported Monday: one in Buxton early Saturday, two overnight Sunday at undisclosed locations, and another Monday morning.

The collapses bring the total number of homes lost to the ocean to 31. The pace has accelerated in recent years, with one collapse in 2020 and 16 in 2025. The four homes are the first to fall in 2026. The National Park Service also closed the north Buxton beachfront, citing storm damage to "dozens of houses" and septic systems.

The weekend bomb cyclone dumped historic snowfall on Charlotte, with up to 11 inches across the metro area, tying for the state’s fourth-highest single-day total alongside the Dec. 29, 1880 snowstorm. State officials reported more than 1,000 crashes and two fatalities. More than 800 flights were canceled Sunday at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, according to FlightAware. Dangerously cold temperatures are expected to continue through Monday.

“We have record levels of snow in some areas of the state,” said Daniel Johnson, North Carolina’s secretary of transportation. “Our crews were prepared, and we have sufficient salt supplies to address this storm. We’re throwing everything we have at this, but it will take days, even in the least impacted areas, to clear the roads.” 

Temperatures are expected to rise later this week, but cold weather will persist through Monday, with lingering snow and ice. Wind chills could dip into the single digits across much of North Carolina, the National Weather Service warned, as more than 100,000 people in the South remain without power.

In Florida, snow flurries and record-low temperatures were reported. Hundreds of cold-stunned iguanas were dropped off at Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offices after residents were temporarily allowed to remove the invasive species in response to the cold. Temperatures fell below freezing in South Florida, with Melbourne reaching 24 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service.

In South Carolina, snowfall ranged from 1 to 9 inches, giving the capital city of Columbia its first significant snow of the year. The storm largely spared New York and Massachusetts, though AccuWeather predicts a possible Valentine’s Day storm beginning Feb. 12 through the 14th in the Northeast.

The winter weather may continue, as the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicted an additional six weeks of winter weather Monday morning, with his handlers saying that he saw his shadow at his home in western Pennsylvania.

North Carolina and Georgia issued states of emergency ahead of the storm, and Tennessee and South Carolina remained under a state of emergency issued for the prior storm, Winter Storm Fern. Fern swept through the Midwest and Northeast last week, canceling flights, knocking out power, and resulting in dozens of deaths.

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