NJ - Ophelia chewed up these Ocean County sand dunes. How much will it cost to replace them?
TOMS RIVER - Tropical Storm Ophelia damaged the oceanfront dune system in Ortley Beach, leading to four-foot drops to the beach in some spots, according to a coastal erosion assessment prepared by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Ortley Beach and Harvey Cedars suffered moderate dune line damage in the storm, which caused rough surf conditions — with wave heights of up to 6 to 10 feet — at area beaches. Rough surf lasted from Sept. 22 to 27, according to the DEP.
Harvey Cedars also saw moderate dune erosion, with drops of up to 8 feet from the top of the dune to the beach. Beach Haven and Long Beach Township's Holgate section also saw moderate erosion, with waves carving deep into the dune line.
Toms River Mayor Maurice B. "Mo" Hill Jr., who will leave office at the end of December, suggested at a recent township council meeting that his successor include $300,000 to $500,000 in the 2024 budget to pay for repairs in Ortley.
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"I don't think the (U.S.) Army Corps is going to be there," for repairs before the summer season, Hill said.
Ortley Beach, which was frequently referred to as Superstorm Sandy's 'ground zero' because of the extensive damage caused by the storm, is located at the site of a former inlet. Called the Cranberry Inlet, the opening to the sea was closed off during an early 19th century storm, in spite of settlers' desperate efforts to keep it open.
Even though last winter's storm season was relatively minor, the township was once again forced to pay $305,000 to put more sand on Ortley's beaches before the Memorial Day start of the tourist season. A lack of snowfall last winter meant Toms River was able to use snow removal funds to pay for the beach replenishment.
Repairing erosion in Ortley has become a yearly task for the township. Last year, Vulcan Construction group was paid more than $240,000 to fix dunes, while in 2021, Earle was paid $430,000 to restore damage caused by a couple of fierce nor'easter storms.
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The Army Corps is likely to award a contract for beach replenishment in the northern Ocean County barrier island area by December, with work expected to start in late winter or early spring.
Other beachfront and bayfront areas of Monmouth and Ocean counties suffered only minor erosion during Ophelia, DEP said. The department regularly conducts coastal surveys after strong storms. In this case, the worst erosion found in the Tropical Storm Ophelia assessment was in Upper Township's Strathmere section in Cape May County, where drops of up to 10 feet could be found from the top of the dune line to the sand.
DEP said it is likely more erosion took place after its beach survey was completed, as rough surf conditions continued into early October.
