Following a post-storm assessment conducted from Aug. 22 to Aug. 26, the Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Coastal Engineering reported minor to moderate erosion along the state’s coastline. On the whole, the report said, the beaches did their job in protecting property along the shore.
The assessment involved consideration of 81 beaches along the state’s coastline, with 72 showing minor beach or dune erosion, nine with moderate erosion, and none showing losses that would qualify as major erosion. Hot spots up and down the coast experienced greater erosion.
In Cape May County, the areas of most noteworthy erosion occurred in parts of Ocean City, Strathmere, Avalon and North Wildwood. The report notes the presence of visible sand bars with post-storm landward migration of sand occurring.
Even with the storm 200 miles offshore, Erin packed a punch as the hurricane moved past the Garden State. The DEP reports that near-shore buoys “recorded sustained winds in excess of 35 mph and wind gusts to 50 mph during the peak of the event.”
The report was optimistic about the likelihood that dry beach areas will see significant return of sand. It says, “It is often the Office’s experience that much of the material eroded from the ‘dry’ beach area has not been lost, but rather redistributed within the beach profile system, such as creation or enlargement of offshore sand bars. Our expectation is that much of this material will return to the ‘dry’ beach in time following the storm.”
Erin did elevate tidal flooding, with the DEP report saying, “During this storm, nearby buoys recorded peak offshore wave heights between 10 and 17 feet. All oceanfront locations and many back bay and river locations reached flood stage levels during multiple tidal cycles from Monday, Aug. 18, through Saturday, Aug. 23.”
Following the storm, and with federal dollars for beach replenishment not assured, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2) met with Shore town mayors at his office in Northfield. The meeting was prompted by local officials’ concerns that federal dollars for replenishment projects by the Army Corps of Engineers had been removed from the March continuing resolution that funded the federal government for the remainder of 2025.
In a typical year Congress allocates between $100 million and $200 million for replenishment projects. Some 2025 projects in Delaware and Maryland were canceled for lack of funding. Projects on the Army Corps’ schedule for 2026 as yet remain unfunded.
Van Drew did express confidence that funding would be in place for the 2026 replenishment projects. The federal process of passing a budget by Sept. 30 is still ongoing, with no indication yet on replenishment dollars.
Beaches in Ocean City, Strathmere, Avalon and Stone Harbor are all scheduled for replenishment projects in the winter of 2026 if money is appropriated.
Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
