New Jersey’s latest coastal storm has renewed the debate over shore protection, with one coastal group urging swift repairs to beaches and infrastructure and another warning that flooding behind the beaches is being overlooked.
“After the devastation of (Superstorm) Sandy, the federal government leapt in with billions of dollars to protect the coastal beachfront homes of the wealthy,” Ross Kushner, coordinator of the New Jersey Coastal Alliance, said Sept. 29. “Yet, damage was not limited to the beachfront. Far more was done by tidal flooding along bays, estuaries and rivers. This included towns on the inland side. What was done for them? Not much.”
He said some Raritan Bay communities gained protection, but little has changed elsewhere. The September nor’easter, he argued, exposed the disparity: Oceanfront properties were largely spared, while homes behind the bays and barrier islands flooded, and public beaches were damaged.
Kushner criticized elected officials, saying their public calls for more funding focuses on beaches and dunes rather than vulnerable flood-prone areas behind them.
“The only crowing we hear from folks, like Congressman Frank Pallone, is for more funding pointed at beaches and dunes,” he said. “For the flood-prone back side? Zilch.”
Claims that the dunes were “doing their job” overlook what beaches and dunes are meant to provide: public recreation, tourism and wildlife habitat – not just protection for expensive summer homes, Kushner said.
A narrow strip of beach backed by a steep sand cliff cannot serve those purposes well after a storm, he said, adding some beaches were restored only a year or two ago and are not scheduled for further work for another two to six years.
“We have begged the state and the Army Corps (of Engineers) to use improved project methods employed successfully worldwide,” Kushner said, adding the Army Corps has tested some of those methods “right here.”
The current approach to beach replenishment, he said, only promotes erosion that leads to more-frequent and costly nourishment work, he said, adding erosion and flooding are separate problems that require different responses.
“There is a better way,” he said. “Our beaches and our people deserve much more.”
His appeal for a different approach was followed by a broader critique of how the state measured the September storm’s impact.
“The New Jersey Coastal Alliance has been studying the NJDEP’s coastal review of the recent coastal storm,” he said Oct. 8. “We are constantly amazed, both by what the government looks at and what they ignore.”
The N.J. Department of Environmental Protection inspected 240 locations, covering 81 defined stretches of state beaches with storm-risk management projects or areas of concern, Kushner said.
“So, what did they ignore? How about every unreplenished beach from Sandy Hook to Cape May?” he said. “And these are not small areas. Sandy Hook and Island Beach State Park alone include 16 miles of beach, equal to seven or eight coastal towns.”
State parks encompass more than 30% of New Jersey’s shoreline, but are “ignored” because they survive storms, provide excellent beaches and require no replenishment, Kushner said.
“But that’s not all. In New Jersey, coastal storms do far more damage with backside flooding than ocean waves. Always have, always will,” he said, noting the state’s review did not formally document flood damage in most bayside and river-adjacent areas.
Kushner questioned how many of those areas were inspected for flooding, flood levels, tidal surges and related damage. The answer, he said, is none, apart from Raritan Bay. Despite reports of severe flooding in Sea Bright, Long Beach Island, Atlantic City, Lacey Township, Egg Harbor and many other places, the state produced no formal record of that damage, he added.
“Why are these areas ignored? How would it look if unreplenished sites came out better than replenished ones? Why evaluate backside flooding when you want every penny spent on beachfront mansions?” he said.
The debate turns on a broader question: Which coastal losses should shape the state’s recovery priorities?
In a Sept. 29 letter to Gov. Mikie Sherrill, the American Coastal Coalition made a different case for the immediate response: It asked the state to formally request assistance from the Army Corps of Engineers under Public Law 84-99 to restore beaches and coastal infrastructure after the nor’easter.
The letter was written on behalf of the New Jersey members of the American Coastal Coalition, including Cape May County, Avalon, Stone Harbor, North Wildwood, Cape May, Sea Isle City, Upper Township, Ocean City, Stafford Township, Long Beach Township and Sea Girt.
The coalition’s letter said the storm was among New Jersey’s most damaging weather events since Sandy, but credited the state’s beaches and dunes with preventing millions of dollars in damage to homes, roads, utilities and other public infrastructure. It warned that beaches were already badly eroded as winter storm season approached, leaving residents, businesses and infrastructure exposed to another major storm.
The coalition urged the state to repair beaches quickly, citing the risks to tourism, public infrastructure, real estate and New Jersey’s multibillion-dollar economy. It also expressed support for the state’s partnership with the Corps and shore towns, and said it wanted to work with the administration.
