Powerful waves from a coastal storm far out in the Atlantic Ocean are worsening beach erosion along parts of the Jersey Shore, threatening stretches of coastline already battered by a September nor’easter.
In Beach Haven, crews are using bulldozers to push sand toward damaged dunes in an effort to protect the shoreline from further erosion.
“Our beaches are so small at this point. There’s nothing really much to take except for our dunes,” said Sal Leonardis of Beach Haven.
The latest pounding surf is taking a toll on beaches already in rough shape after last month’s storm washed away significant amounts of sand.
Severe erosion is worsening in some locations, including sections of North Wildwood and a particularly vulnerable stretch of coastline in Atlantic City.
“We’re losing it day by day. I feel like we’re losing it day by day,” said Allyson Sorenson of Atlantic City.
Sorenson said the possibility of additional storms is especially concerning given the condition of the beaches.
“I worry every time I hear about a potential storm coming because we can’t afford to lose anymore,” Sorenson said.
The renewed erosion concerns come less than a week after New Jersey requested emergency federal assistance to repair beaches damaged by the September storm.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is now reviewing that request to determine eligibility for assistance.
“We’re now working through a process to develop reports for seven separate projects along our portion of the New Jersey coastline,” said Steve Rochette of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“We’re not set up for a quick fix. This process will take time to work through that,” Rochette said.
According to the Army Corps, repairs will require planning, design work and getting dredging equipment into place.
Officials said it’s too early to determine when repairs could begin, and funding is also expected to be a factor.
In the meantime, local crews are doing what they can to reinforce vulnerable stretches of shoreline using the sand that remains.
“They’re to prevent to lose more sand, but no matter what, we’re going to lose something,” Leonardis said.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.
