Shawn J. Soper
Managing Editor
OCEAN CITY -- With heavy seas and a pending winter storm pounding the coast again on Monday morning, Ocean City officials have issued the initial estimates on the damage to the beach and dunes during Winter Storm Jonas late last month, including roughly $21 million needed in repairs.
In late January, Jonas, now deemed a 50-year storm, pounded the resort beaches for three straight days during what was essentially a classic Nor’easter during a full moon. The storm exacted a heavy toll on the beaches and dunes, the extent of which is just now being known. The federal Army Corps of Engineers late last week released the results of its recently completed initial estimates of the damages and a plan for emergency restoration.
According to the Army Corps’ figures, the volume of sand lost during Jonas is estimated at 880,000 cubic yards. The estimated cost to repair the damage caused by the January storm came in at around $21 million. The Town of Ocean City is currently moving forward with emergency dune repairs through a partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The Army Corps of Engineers will be requesting funding for the full beach restoration. Just last week, the Mayor and Council signed off on a letter to Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) seeking continued funding for the beach replenishment project through the Water Resources Development Act.
The good news is, despite taking heavy losses, the dune system held up and did its job during Jonas. According to the Army Corps’ estimates, the property damages prevented by the dunes during Jonas totaled around $190 million.
The Army Corps of Engineers replenishes the beaches in Ocean City every four years, along with occasional emergency repairs when necessary, such as the repairs now needed in the wake of Jonas. The last regularly scheduled beach replenishment project in Ocean City was conducted in 2014.
Beach replenishment is conducted through a federal, state and local partnership including the Army Corps, the state of Maryland, Worcester County and Ocean City, with the federal government paying the lion’s share of the 50-year agreement. For example, the total current allocation is nearly $268 million, of which the federal government pays $146 million. Roughly $47 million had been allocated through 2013, leaving a balance of $98 million. The life of the project extends to 2044.
Photo: The beach and ocean at 67th Street is pictured Monday morning. Photo by Willie Frank
The people that own the property on Ocean City should pay for it.
ReplyDeleteAgree 100%. These rich property owners are the ones that benefit from all that sand.
ReplyDeleteThe entire state benefits from all that sand. Ask the Comptroller how much tax revenue is generated by all that sand.
ReplyDeletethe sand is not lost... it just went home
ReplyDeleteHere we go
ReplyDeleteIt's a frickin barrier island,never meant to stay the same...
ReplyDeleteFly over Virginia's barrier island in a small plane. When you see the size of the "sandbar" and the vastness of the ocean, and imagine a nor'easter, you will understand that the barrier island will move during the storms and over time will be in a completely different location. Down there, there's a great real estate business in selling new lots on Cedar Island and moving houses to new lots from their previous locations now awash with shoreline!
ReplyDeleteOcean City is an equal island, so to keep it in the same place, we need to hit the annual "rewind" button.
Paid for by the occupants and the beneficiaries of keeping it there.
The Chinese are the world champs at reclaiming real estate lost to the sea.We've all seen the islands they've built in the China Sea.We should take their lead in how to approach our situation.We are in no position to ignore their success just because we have contempt for them.
ReplyDeleteSand was not lost. It was simply moved off shore. The beach will eventually return. If someone reverts to pumping, (again), the costs should be paid by Ocean City property owners, who can then pass the costs on to users i.e. residents renters and hotel, motel visitors. Non users should not pay!
ReplyDelete8:11pm
ReplyDeleteWe could never allow that it'd be too much like asking bicyclers to pay roadway use fees.