Long Island's North Shore has signs of beach erosion. An expert says "the problem is irreversible."

With spring looming, residents along Long Island's North Shore are noticing signs of serious beach erosion as they continue to feel the brunt of winter after February's blizzard.  

It's been impossible for them to ignore. From beaches to bluffs, many believe their section of New York's shoreline is shrinking. 

Bluff erosion cannot be fixed

In Smithtown, rough surf snapped a support beam off a pier and winter storms have stripped away sand and dirt from the bluffs at Kings Park.

"There used to be a lot more beach," said Josh Rogienski, of Kings Park. "It's eroding to a point where there is no trail or no beach from here to Sunken Meadow." 

The storms even destroyed stairs that once led down to the beach, which crews have since wrapped with caution tape. 

"I think it may be the worst I have ever seen," Bryan Robarge, of Kings Park, said. "It's disappointing, because we love this place." 

Experts say the damage is to be expected after a brutal winter, the most erosive season for the coastline. Part of the problem lies in what the bluffs are made of — loose sand and glacial sediment are far weaker than solid rock, they say. 

"Unlike sandy beaches where you can really rebuild, with bluff erosion, the problem is pretty much irreversible," said Ali Farhadzadeh, an associate professor at Stony Brook University's school of marine and atmospheric sciences. 

Farhadzadeh believes the problem could get worse. 

"What we saw this winter, on top of that, we have scientifically proven sea-level rise. When you have higher water, the waves could reach further on land," he said. 

Communities cannot afford fixes

It's not just in Kings Park.

Community leaders in nearby Asharoken say a seawall built to protect the shoreline, and the only road in and out of the area, has fallen apart. 

"It has structurally failed the last two years," said John Ballow, a spokesperson for the greater Eatons Neck community. 

Ballow started a petition to get lawmakers' attention in Albany because the village and town don't have the funds to pay for a replacement, he said. 

The beach has lost more than 50 feet of sand due to erosion over the last 60 years, according to experts. 

"This has gotten a lot worse in the last year. The [Long Island Sound] now is at the sea wall," Ballow said. 

It's hard to say for sure if this was the harshest winter, since there is no official and comprehensive picture of beach erosion along the North Shore, but officials say it was certainly extremely problematic. 

Without action, experts warn this winter may offer a glimpse of what's to come.