Shore towns brace for more beach erosion

JERSEY SHORE (WABC) -- The beach erosion in Monmouth Beach is dramatic and emergency management officials worry it's about to get a lot worse when the storm kicks up overnight and into the morning.

The pumps were working overtime, dredging sediment from the bottom of the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers and pumping it on to the Monmouth beachfront.

It's part of the effort to pile more sand on the beach, to keep the ocean from breaching the seawall.

"The rocks fall in and before you know it, the ocean's on the highway," Chief Richard White said.

The last time that happened was in 1992, but the last two Nor'easters that blew through the Jersey Shore have severely eroded the beaches.

Earlier Wednesday, bulldozers in Sea Bright were doing 'sand scraping' -- taking sand from the water's edge to make a natural barrier.

"We're going to watch the storm. It's a shame the storm is coming on the heels of the Nor'easter. It's pretty much like a foundation. Our foundation is a little weak along the shore line," Glenn Mason, Monmouth County OEM coordinator, said.

Homeowners in Sea Bright say they're hoping for a mild storm, but they've grown accustomed to flooding here. After all, they do live below sea level.

"We live by the ocean because we want to be close to the water and if we get wet sometimes, it's part of the fun," said Isaac Hall

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new jersey, beach erosion, nor'easter, local news, jen maxfield

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