Nor'easter caused worst beach erosion in Atlantic City, New Jersey, since Hurricane Sandy, officials say

Atlantic City Beach Patrol officials say this weekend's nor'easter caused the worst beach erosion the city has seen since Hurricane Sandy, with about a half-mile stretch north of Steel Pier particularly hard hit.

The storm carved into dunes, uncovered previously buried structures and left steep drop-offs along the shoreline, earning it a nickname from longtime Deputy Chief of Atlantic City Beach Patrol Dave Russo. 

"It's like one big beach eater, coming right at you like a Pac-Man," Russo said.

Russo said about half of the dunes remain in the affected area and that the city's public works department will likely smooth some of the steep cliffs left behind so beachgoers can safely access the sand.

Despite the erosion, Russo said the boardwalk was not damaged and there is still plenty of beach available for visitors.

For people who watched the nor'easter pound the shoreline over several days, the changes were striking.

Melita Richardson, who lives a few blocks from the beach, returned to the shoreline each day to track what the storm was doing.

"This is not what it looked like yesterday," Richardson said Sunday. "This is actually even worse."

Richardson pointed to a pipe protruding from the sand that she said had previously been buried.

"This pipe that is visible at this point wasn't even visible yesterday after all the beating," she said.

Howard Barenfeld, visiting from Orange County, New York, said he and his family had also been watching the shoreline change each day.

"It's been incredible to watch as the beach has been eaten away hour by hour, day after day," Barenfeld said. "We've been out here every day."

Russo said more erosion could come as the colder months approach.

"The nor'easters usually come in the wintertime, so there may be a lot more beach erosion," he said.

Beach replenishment in Atlantic City was already being planned before the storm, Russo said.

For now, the boardwalk remains intact and the beach remains accessible, but the weekend storm left behind a stark example of just how quickly the Jersey Shore can change.

"I like to call these storms 'beach eaters' now," Russo said, "because they just take away so much of it."