Beach Patrol – Everything is Just Beach-y!
By Anna Dinger
It has been more than six months since Superstorm Sandy barreled through Long Island, leaving devastation in its wake. And, while many people have been able to return to life as usual, there is still a great deal of cleaning up to do and our beaches are no exception.
“Sandy caused a lot of destruction but our crews and contractors are fiercely working to get us in great shape to kick off the summer,” says New York State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey.
Damage from the storm included flooding, erosion, electrical damage, extensive tree damage, destruction of dunes and the collapse and destruction of both roadways and infrastructure. Right now, work is being done non-stop to prepare the beaches for Memorial Day weekend and the busy season ahead.
“All Long Island state parks will be open fully or partially by Memorial Day weekend,” says George Gorman, deputy regional director of New York State Parks.
So, we took a tour of Long Island’s beaches before the summer season and here’s what Milieu’s Beach Patrol learned…
The Long Beach area was one of the most drastically affected areas on the island. The main boardwalk was destroyed and a great deal of sand was lost during the storm.
“From a city infrastructure perspective, we have to make sure all repairs are taken care of—our water and sewage plants, our beach and boardwalk, our recreation center, our senior citizen center and all of the city facilities that were damaged in the storm,” says Gordon Tepper, director of communications in Long Beach.
The Army Corps of Engineers Storm Reduction Project was recently approved by the city council and will provide an engineered and nourished beach, increased sand elevation, an elevated protective dune, a retaining wall and the rehabilitation of 16 jetties. It will be 100-percent federally funded at a cost of about $150 million.
“The beaches now have man-made dune-like mounds to prevent the ocean from creeping up onto our streets,” says Long Beach resident Johanna Sofield, who is also president of Long Beach Christmas Angel, a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to Long Beach families that are experiencing difficulties, especially those impacted by Sandy.
Long Beach will also be replacing the boardwalk that was destroyed, a massive project. But the damage extends way beyond the boardwalk.
“Countless homes in the West End remain unoccupied,” says Sofield. “I would guess a 50-percent occupancy rate would be accurate. You can see people moving back every day, and construction crews can be seen on almost every block making repairs to homes.”
Businesses have taken a major hit as well.
“Many businesses remain closed,” Sofield continues. “Some have closed their doors permanently and are now vacant including Grillfire, Savage Chic, Pita Grill, Park Avenue Café and Pinup.”
Although there are many different projects that are already underway or soon to be, there is still a lot of work to be done.
A fleet of construction trucks dotted the sand at Nickerson Beach preparing for the summer season, scooping up and flattening out new sand along the beach.
“The bay remains littered with storm debris, but waterway patrols are making progress by removing unsafe objects,” says Sofield. “The joy of spring and summer will fix what [FEMA] will not.”
“The most important thing is having our residents back in their homes and our businesses re-opened,” Tepper says, adding that despite all the work being done, there will still be a regular summer beach season in Long Beach.
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