$500M later, Jersey Shore's fate in powerful storms is uncertain. Consistent winds up to 55 miles per hour over the last few days have slowly chipped away at the beach, he said. Locals like Craig Batchelor say they're worried to go out on the sand. Back in New Haven, Zinn will continue pushing for the East Shore Park project. While nor'easters bring everything from strong winds to heavy precipitation to coastal flood. Connecticut communities like New Haven stand to lose a lot from increased flooding. During the period of inundation, currents and waves carry large volumes of sand from the seaward to the landward side of the island. But that money is not likely to materialize. Spray Beach, North Beach Haven, Beach . Fifty-four of those were found to have minor beach or dune erosion; 18 had moderate erosion, and nine including Bay Head, Ortley Beach, Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars, and Loveladies and Holgate in Long Beach Township had major erosion. It's great to forecast for you in N.J., where I was born and raised. Smaller breaches often fill with sand in the months following the storm, while larger breaches may become permanent inlets. Further south, dunes are scattered all over, Sferra added. She's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. Not only did the effort stave off erosion, it helped revitalize the tony South Beach neighborhood and rescue hotels, restaurants and shops there that cater to the rich and famous. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. That amount of sea level rise does not bode well for Connecticut beaches when combined with an increased number of severe storms hitting the state every year, as higher sea levels can worsen erosion and lead to more frequent flooding. Contact her: @jeanmikle, 732-643-4050, jmikle@gannettnj.com. Register to attend in-person | Register to attend virtually. The sand dune can recover over a period of years, gaining in elevation and volume through deposits of wind-blown sand. That has meant everything from better blueberry , Federal disaster assistance is available to five New Jersey counties, including Cape May and Ocean, to supplement state and local recovery eff. We want people to enjoy it, Zinn said. In Bay Head, the storm cut into the dune line, leaving drops of up to 8-feet from the top of the dunes to the beach. The non-profit research and technology group First Street Foundation predicts New Haven will face a 51% increase in financial loss from climate change, and that the average expected loss per property from flooding will rise from $4,063 in 2021 to $5,226 in 2051. We dont want new hardened shoreline flood and erosion control structures. Right now, traditional erosion and flood control structures such as seawalls and revetments are common along Connecticuts shoreline and are found in towns such as East Haven and Branford. Dune erosion makes properties behind the dune more vulnerable to future storms and the potential foroverwash(Figure 4). Stewart Farrell, the director and founder of the Coastal Research Center at Stockton University, said dune erosion has been widespread along the states barrier islands, from the north end of Avalon to Ocean City and Atlantic City. 2023 Scientific American, a Division of Springer Nature America, Inc. The erosive scour exposed and eroded a line of trees and coastal shrubs that are seen in this photo. A lot of dune damage," said Rich Fuchs, President of the Stone Harbor Property Owners Association, who described the conditions of the weekend storm. 2023 The Conneticut News Project. These preventative measures have ended up isolating the beach from the park even more, said New Haven City engineer Giovanni Zinn. In the early 1980s, the city of Miami spent some $65 million adding sand to a 10-mile stretch of fast-eroding shoreline. This time around, the local municipalities are expected to owe about $8 million in beach replenishment costs. Of particular concern is the effect climate change, which not only causes sea levels to rise but also increases the severity and possibly the frequency of harsh storms, has on beach erosion. Beach nourishment projects aim to widen or raise a beach and advance the shoreline seaward. If Mother Nature is hell-bent on taking away some of that shoreline over time, it will, OBrien said. When storm-induced waves exceed the height of the dune, sand is transported over top of the dune and deposited inland. Major erosion consists of significant beach berm loss or when dunes transform into cliffs, as the ocean washes away the sand from the base of the dune, according to the report, which did not include the Sundays noreaster. The loss of sand causes the beach to become narrower and lower in elevation (Figure 1). It also changes the angle of flooding, causing beaches to erode faster. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. This map shows the Grand Haven jetty, on the Grand River. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism , a supervising environmental analyst from DEEP, said Connecticut will soon have to deal with the threats of sea level rise and coastal erosion. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. More:Ortley Beach supermarket fired new mom for pumping breast milk, lawsuit claims, LBI fire:Fire guts Scojo's Eatery on Long Beach Island. However, that storm lasted only a half day and was not as strong. Days of a pounding onshore wind and large waves chewed up parts of the Jersey Shore last week. In January 2020, a $1.25 million government-led project was proposed to counter erosion at the southern end of Seven Mile Beach. 2023 FOX Television Stations, 'I nearly died': Florida man attacks another man with golf club on Lake County course, deputies say, Buckeye woman stung more than 75 times during family photo shoot, first responders say, Larry 'Gator' Rivers, Harlem Globetrotter legend from Georgia, dies at 73, Downtown Orlando bars now need special permit to sell alcohol after midnight, 2 high schoolers killed, 4 others hurt in shooting at house party in Mississippi, 8 fun things to do in Central Florida for $20 or less, Here are the top restaurants of Central Florida in 2023, 5 secret bars worth finding in Central Florida, Caught on Camera: Apopka motor sales business targeted by thieves for 9th time, owners say, Van used to transport elderly stolen in Volusia County. The hurricanes remnants are expected to finish up by Wednesday night. Surf heights at the Shore ranged from 3 to 6 feet Sunday, 6 to 12 feet Monday, and 5 to 10 feet Tuesday. The worst beach erosion he said he saw was in Strathmere, an unincorporated area in Upper Township, in Cape May County. In many ways, with none of these things, whether its a living shoreline or a traditional flood and erosion control structure, youre not going to [prevent erosion] if youre in an area thats absolutely prone to severe erosion. Some moderate erosion was reported by the DEP in Sea Bright, where sinkholes opened near the seawall on Center Street; Monmouth Beach, where the storm exposed an old bulkhead, and Long Branch, where the DEP said there is "little to no beach from south of Lake Takanassee to approximately 1,000 linear feet south of Pullman Avenue.". The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. Its a fairly expensive project, Zinn said, but it is a pretty extensive project.. ", "Is something that we haven't seen before," added City Commissioner Ken Bryan, "I was on the beach yesterday. Well send you our daily roundup of all our favorite stories from across the site, from travel to food to shopping to entertainment. A living shoreline project in Stratford Point was built in 2014 and later expanded consisting of artificial reef balls that both break up the wave energy hitting the beach and provide habitat for clams, mussels and fish within their cracks and crevices. On the screen, what looks like a high tide with large waves has taken over the entirety of the beach, almost reaching the wooden fence. Farther south, in the Ortley Beach section of Toms RIver, one of the ramps leading down to the sand near Third Avenue was damaged, and there was erosion on part of the dune line,township Engineer Robert J. Chankalian said. Florida's beaches provide habitat for vital native species, protect the coastline from damaging storms, attract millions of tourists, and overall contribute economic value to the state. 90% of our revenue is contributed. Because of this statute, more people looking to protect their homes and businesses from erosion may be forced to install living shorelines. 600 4th Street South The high tides and intense ocean activity brought by Ian led to the creation of some dramatic cliffs across New Jersey's beaches. Rough surf caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ian damages beaches and dunes in Harvey Cedars, NJ, Tuesday, October 4, 2022. Is sand the best defense? Living shorelines are much more beneficial for coastal habitats, Barrett argued. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said last weeks noreaster doesnt appear likely to qualify as the sort of extraordinary storm event necessary to free up emergency reconstruction aid. This has led the National Marine Fishery Services to push back against living shoreline projects. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). One reason living shorelines may be beneficial as sea level rises is because structures like sills cause sediment to accumulate on the shore, strengthening marshes and other coastal habitats. The corps does plan periodic renourishment in areas where it has completed beach replenishment projects. However, these structures can physically block coastal habitats from the water, according to Dr. Juliana Barrett, an associate extension educator for Connecticut Sea Grant. In Brant Beach and North Beach Haven, dunes were eroded to a depth of 12 feet, with vertical drops to the beach of up to 8 feet. "There should be a beach here," says one TikTok user who posted a video of conditions in Bay Head, New Jersey on October 4. -- Jan Jesse, Morristown, TN. Some dunes in Beach Haven on Long Beach Island have 10 to 12-foot vertical drops, said James Sferra, the recycling coordinator in the public works department. Such erosion can result from any number of factors, including the simple inundation of the land by rising sea levels resulting from the melting of the polar ice caps. "It's funny," said Flagler Beach City Manager William Witson, "it just kind of happened over the last month. This process, known as overwash, causes a significant change in the landscape of the island. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat. The severe weather left the states beaches so battered that New Jersey wants emergency funding from the federal government to fix the damage. "It was incredibly windy. They dont block off coastal habitats from the shoreline, and they focus on protecting areas such as marshes and wetlands. All Rights Reserved. Read our community guidelines. "It (the dunes) did what it was supposed to do." promotes nonstructural solutions to flood and erosion problems such as living shorelines. United States. The Army Corps' nearly $130-million project to enlarge beaches and build dunes from the Manasquan to Barnegat inlets, Many Bay Head oceanfront homeowners along with some in neighboring Mantoloking and Point Pleasant Beach opposed the Army Corps project. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) PROVINCETOWN, Mass Massachusetts is home to one of the best small beach towns in the United States, according to a new ranking. There are two main groups of living shorelines, Barrett explained. Inundation is most likely to occur on an island that is naturally low in elevation (Fig. 26% of New Jersey's shoreline is critically eroding, according to the report "State Coastal Program Effectiveness in Protecting Natural Beaches, Dunes, Bluffs, and Rock Shores" (T. Bernd-Cohen and M. Gordon), Coastal Management 27:187-217, 1999. Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily briefings. People dont realize the long-term environmental damage that can come from having a seawall. New Haven will face a 51% increase in financial loss from climate change, and that the average expected loss per property from flooding will rise from $4,063 in 2021 to $5,226 in 2051. also found the economic cost of 1 meter of sea level rise in the city would be $1.3 billion, and $2.2 billion if it increased by 2 meters. Curtis said he fears the beach erosion will have an economic impact on Bay Head if the beach cannot be restored before summer. If the beach had not been replenished, with larger dunes built there, "we would have lost Ocean Avenue," in the storm, Chankalian said. Reasons behind Amtrak's nationwide breaking system outage due to investigators next week, About $30 million in funding from the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Review. Beach Erosion. We want to make sure there's no impact to public facilities like roadways or other kinds of things," Witson said. Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns. And its ongoing because its still northeast winds, 25 to 35 mile per hour, he added. I'm honored to be a 10 time N.J. Press Association award winner and a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist. Public works employees will initially put up caution tape to warn people of the cliffs, and then begin the process of restoring the walkways to the beaches soon, Burnaford said. New Haven is currently waiting for all of the required state and federal permits for the project, and Zinn estimates it will take six months to a year for full approval to start construction. Kevin OBrien, a supervising environmental analyst from DEEP, said Connecticut will soon have to deal with the threats of sea level rise and coastal erosion. Curtis said he is writing a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as the state Department of Environmental Protection, asking if the agencies can do anything to shore up the beach. Barras, J. and J.B. Johnston, 2006. The flooding presents a danger when people try to drive through, he said. A survey of Jersey Shore beaches conducted by the DEP's Division of Coastal Engineering following the storm looked at 81 sites up and down the coast. #1 of 3 ranches in Eastsound. The $30 million in fundingrepresents only about 50% of the estimated cost of the repair work. This destroys sea life, turning the ocean floor into a desert. The artificial reef offered protection for the degraded tidal wetland behind it, and according to OBrien, the Stratford Point wetland became much healthier after the reef was installed. Another 18 beach towns suffered moderate erosion from the storm, which saw wave heights between 6 to 12 feet. Seven Mile Beach forums . Visit hotel website. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the . Seawalls can even cause beaches to retreat and become more eroded, OBrien explained. Discover world-changing science. As opposed to traditional structures, living shorelines let water through. Dune erosion occurs when storm surge elevates waves higher on the beach, allowing them to attack and erode the coastal dune. The modern automobile and saltwater do not go well together.. Watch News 6 as they cover breaking local, regional, and national news, plus the latest updates on weather, traffic and sports. Luckily, the damage isn't completely irreversible, and once the winds die down on Wednesday, workers will be able to use their bulldozers to patch up the sand dunes and restore access to the beach. . But the timing of this storm is what's unusual. Climate change and sea level rise make erosion more likely in noreasters. In Atlantic City, the inlet jetty through the southern border sustained major sand loss, with up to 140 feet of sloped beach erosion. "I won't go down there," he said. Weve improved on things, and now theres a greater familiarity and a greater confidence in the public.. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The storm started with the remnants of Hurricane Ian, which transferred off the Mid-Atlantic coast and formed a coastal low pressure system. Tidal wetlands inside the park will also be expanded, creating more habitat. You can cancel at any time. There is some evidence that living shorelines can work in Connecticut. In Atlantic City, the ocean filled the end of. And still another storm is possible Sunday, according to forecasters. It seems they have been losing beach to erosion, but haven't been in a couple years. JW Marriott, part of Marriott Bonvoy's global portfolio of 30 extraordinary hotel brands, today unveils its newest property in Clearwater Beach, Florida, with the opening of JW Marriott Clearwater . Storms and high wave energy have eaten away at this thinning beach, and the few patches of vegetation are in the process of being flooded. Does beach replenishment work? CT Mirror Explains: Proposed College Budget Cuts, Building emissions are the climate change contributor you hadnt heard of until now, Unanimous PURA vote on utility rates belies rifts among regulators, used to be part of the harbor itself. Thanks for reading Scientific American. In addition, the shoreline will be graded back into a more gradual slope that is more resilient to erosion. So far, we're good, but it moves around. or anything.Be Nice. FOX 35 Orlando 'Something that we haven't seen before': Massive beach erosion in Florida county The sand at Flagler Beach looks like someone took a giant ice cream scoop out of the beach.. The overall volume and elevation of the dune is reduced due to the erosion process (Figure 3). Report inappropriate content . The northeast ends of the islands in South Jersey face the most threats of erosion, said Stewart Farrell, director of Stockton Universitys Coastal Research Center. Our project is designed to reduce erosion and property damages associated with these events. So every minute, every hour, that consistent wind just kept eating away, eating away, eating away.. Get notified by e-mail when a reply is posted. High lake levels allow waves to pound the beach farther inland, leading to greater amounts of erosion father up the beach front. Breaches can vary in width from several kilometers to tens of meters (Fig. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Meteorologist Joe Martucci explains why beach erosion happens and what is done to fill the beaches back up for people to enjoy. It was incredibly stormy. Steve Rochette, a spokesman for the Army Corps' Philadelphia District, said the corps is still getting updates from the DEP about the extent of erosion to beachfront areas. Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. This statute also prohibits the construction of new seawalls, groins and other traditional structures in Connecticut except for endangered buildings built before 1995, roads and other infrastructure needing protection, cemetery grounds close to the shoreline and harbors needing protection. The citys sand backpacking operation, where sand is removed from a permitted borrow area, moved to another area and then made level, was impacted as the route to transport the sand was damaged. It will require some work and maintenance, and well find out what the lessons are, he said. The Borough of Beach Haven, the Queen City, is a small beach community that is rich in history and alive with excitement for all ages. Wine and Cheeseburger: Harley and Lara Pair Falafel with Wine. Because dunes rebuild over a long period, many coastal counties choose to build temporary dunes following a large storm. nearly $129million beach expansion and dune-building program in the area that finished in 2019. The artificial reef offered protection for the degraded tidal wetland behind it, and according to OBrien, the Stratford Point wetland became much healthier after the reef was installed. Save. Another drawback of traditional flood control measures like seawalls is the cost to replace them, said Alex Krofta, an ecological restoration project manager from the New Haven nonprofit environmental action group Save the Sound. If you value the story you just read please consider making a donation. For more information about marsh erosion, visit the website of theWetland and Aquatic Research Center. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Beach ErosionErosion is the removal of soil and sand by the forces of wind and water and it has occurred for as long as land has met water. Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns, and has been writing about local government and politics at the Jersey Shore for nearly 36years. One of the big issues with a seawall is that you put up the seawall and youre blocking the land-water interface, Barrett said. Another drawback of traditional flood control measures like seawalls is the cost to replace them, said, , an ecological restoration project manager from the New Haven nonprofit environmental action group, in Connecticut not only protect coastal habitats, but also infrastructure. Because many states rely on beach-related tourism as a major source of revenue, beach erosion has become a serious concern for coastal counties throughout the United States. Its not just building [the living shoreline] and wiping your hands and walking away, Krofta said, but building it and then setting up a pretty robust monitoring program and adjusting as time goes on as needed to make sure not only that they are working well but also that were learning from the examples that were able to implement.. [Seawalls] often have a design life, and they dont last forever. Scroll down to read the DEP's full beach damage report. If a turtle isnt able to get from the water to the resource behind it, its a flood and erosion control structure, Jacobson said. In many of these cases, individual beaches may be losing only a few inches per year, but in some cases the problem is much worse. Phil Murphy to assist northern Ocean County towns in paying the municipalities' portion of the next Army Corps beach replenishment in the area, which is expected to start in late winter or early spring. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. With a living shoreline, the turtle would not be blocked off from the water, according to Jacobson. If someone wants to put in a more hardened structure, like putting up some kind of wall, its actually a lot harder to permit these projects, Lund said. Dear EarthTalk: Ive noticed a lot of beach erosion along the eastern U.S. coast. Continue reading with a Scientific American subscription. Beach erosion occurs when waves and currents remove sand from the beach system. TheOcean County Board of Commissioners agreed last month to pay half that cost, and mayors of oceanfront towns have been lobbying, so far unsuccessfully, for the state to pay the remaining $4 million. I think the biggest drawback right now is theres really not a big long-term operational history here in Connecticut, OBrien said. Regarding beach erosion in general in St. Johns County, Hammond said Nor'easters as well as hurricanes often contribute to . 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Major damage was also reported in Beach Haven and Holgate.