STRATHMERE – Upper Township’s business administrator says that Strathmere’s dunes are in “severe” condition after the Oct. 12-13 nor’easter.
James Van Zlike said surveying of the damage has been completed and the township is now waiting for the state and, perhaps, the federal government to help restore the dunes.
Van Zlike said the northern portion of the island between Seaview and Williams avenues suffered catastrophic erosion.
“The rock core of the engineered dunes is fully exposed, and in several areas the beach and adjoining streets are now nearly level,” he said in a statement prepared for the media.
The Upper Township Committee, he said, adopted a resolution on Oct. 14 declaring a local state of emergency and urging immediate state and federal legislative action to address the crisis.
In response, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2) sent a letter dated Oct. 15 to the leadership of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and to the assistant secretary of the Army (civil works) requesting emergency federal funds to repair damaged shore-protection projects along the coast.
In addition, the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Coastal Engineering conducted its annual inspection on Friday, Oct. 17, with the Army Corps project team, checking the Ocean City-Strathmere-Sea Isle City project corridor and giving special attention to the hardest-hit sections.
Van Zlike said the township public works crews continue clearing debris and repairing dune fencing, where possible, while coordinating with the DEP and the Corps on short-term stabilization measures and long-range restoration planning under the next replenishment cycle.
On Monday, Oct. 20, Mayor Curtis Corson and Committeeman Sam Palombo met on-site with state Sen. Mike Testa and Assemblyman Antwan McClellan to tour the erosion firsthand and discuss potential state-level legislative solutions to the problem, which Van Zlike characterized as “complex and urgent.”
“We are maintaining close contact with all federal, state and county partners and stand ready to host a joint site visit or media update once DEP and the Army Corps finalize their joint assessment,” Van Zlike said.
At the Tuesday, Oct. 14, Upper Township Committee meeting, one resident complained that people were going around barriers at beach entrances, ignoring warnings to stay off the beach. The resident said people were contributing to more erosion by going down the cliffs created by waves, “scarping” the dunes, and putting themselves in danger.
“We fence off dunes for a reason,” Van Zlike said. “Foot traffic can cause the ground to move and accelerates erosion. The last thing we want to do with a compromised dune system is walk on it.”
He said the township would like people to realize that the dunes, by nature, are the barrier islands’ last line of defense. He said a lot of the dunes have signs asking people to stay off, and he doesn’t think more signs will solve the problem; compliance will.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or call 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
