Jersey Shore towns working to rebuild after nor'easter batters dunes: "We lost a lot of beach"
Towns in the Jersey Shore are scrambling to rebuild after their beaches took a beating following the nor'easter that moved through the East Coast over the weekend and into Monday.
Those living at or visiting the Jersey Shore on Sunday and Monday felt the impacts of the coastal storm system the hardest. The storm pounded the shore, causing coastal flooding that filled the streets with inches of water and brought heavy winds, which caused power outages.
Strathmere's officials declare state of emergency after nor'easter
Strathmere's beach is "essentially gone" following this weekend's nor'easter, according to an Upper Township, New Jersey, administrator. Officials in Strathmere declared a state of emergency Tuesday night.
"We lost a lot of beach," Mike Jones, the assistant public works superintendent of Upper Township, said. "We're getting close. There's not much more left.
"This storm has taken away all of the beach replenishment we had, plus probably 25-30 feet more of dune," he said.
Crews focused on the north end of Strathmere and removed sand that was pushed off the beach onto the streets at Seacliff and Neptune avenues.
While no one was injured and there was minimal damage to nearby homes, local leaders fear a future storm system could lead to major flooding.
"We just hope and pray we don't have another one," Jones said. "If we do, we will have to deal with the aftermath of what happens."
Farther down the coastline, the secondary dunes are still intact, Jones said. But the beach still took a beating during the nor'easter.
In the summer, erosion was a big issue at the Jersey Shore, and Strathmere's last beach replenishment project finished in early 2024.
An Upper Township spokesperson said there are no long-term solutions to the problem right now. Like most coastal communities, Upper Township relies on federal funding for beach replenishment projects.
"Mother Nature — you can't stop her," Jones said. "She's going to take what she wants, and we'll see what's left when she leaves."
North Wildwood residents heartbroken by damage from nor'easter
North Wildwood experienced some bayside flooding, but Mayor Patrick Rosenello said it didn't get into anyone's homes.
The real damage, though, happened on a long stretch where waves sheared off protective dunes at 15th Avenue.
"It makes my stomach turn a little bit, breaks my heart," Marlo Kulb, of North Wildwood, said.
Kulb was one of several people out at the 15th Avenue beach in North Wildwood Tuesday checking out the damage left behind from the nor'easter.
Waves sheared off parts of the dune – stretching down the beach. It's left some wondering what's next.
"I wonder if they're going to be able to rebuild," Kulb said. "Because I know in the past, it was a hard time."
Rosenello said the immediate concern is access for first responders, with surfers and fishermen still out. He said they're working with the Department of Environmental Protection to smooth off some of these areas to allow access to the beach. But it's also only October, and with few short-term fixes available, another strong storm over the winter could bring even worse damage.
"If there's availability of any sand to push up, you try to do that. But it doesn't appear that's the case right here," Rosenello said. "If you have another storm like that, it's pretty obvious you're going to have a breach in this dune system here, which then obviously opens up significant storm damage to structures behind it."
But long-term fixes might be just as challenging.
Rosenello said beach erosion is the biggest issue North Wildwood faces, and they have a fully-funded project for replenishment in this area. But he said it's been stuck with the Army Corps of Engineers for a decade.
"They have the funds to do this, and they just haven't been able to get it off the ground," Rosenello said. "So we're not real happy with the Army Corps right now, quite frankly, because of these delays."
Neighbors are holding out hope for one more fix.
"We'll see, cross our fingers," Kulb said.
Some people in North Wildwood who spoke with CBS News Philadelphia brought up the possibility of a seawall. There is one north of the beach.
Rosenello said they have a project ready to extend it further south, but at this point, it's not planned to reach the area.