North Wildwood’s Beach Erosion And What Comes Next

It has now been two-ish weeks since a powerful nor’easter slammed into the Jersey Shore, bringing significant coastal flooding, massive waves, and some pretty serious beach erosion throughout South Jersey

While much of the attention was focused on the flooding, especially in West Wildwood and along the back bays, there is another part of this storm that we really need to talk about.

What happened to our beaches?

I recently made my way down to the beach to see the damage firsthand and to film a youtube video for you. You can watch that at the bottom of this article.

North Wildwood’s Dunes Took a Beating

Walking along the beach near 16th Avenue, one of the first things I noticed was just how much of the dunes had disappeared. In some sections, the storm carved out massive cliffs of sand, with drops that appeared to be 10 to 15 feet high.

Vegetation had been ripped out, old structures that had been buried for years were suddenly exposed, and several beach access ramps were completely destroyed.

Near the 16th Avenue lifeguard station, the erosion was especially noticeable.The bulkhead was exposed, the ramps were gone, and portions of the dune system had been breached.

But here’s the important part. For the most part, those dunes and bulkheads did exactly what they were supposed to do.

They helped protect the boardwalk, nearby buildings, and other infrastructure from the powerful waves crashing onto the shoreline.

Imagine what could have happened if those dunes hadn’t been there. The damage could have been significantly worse.

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Something Interesting Happened Around 10th Avenue

While some sections of North Wildwood experienced significant erosion, other areas held up surprisingly well.

And this is where things get interesting. The beach around 7th through 12th Avenues, particularly near 10th Avenue, remained relatively intact.

Meanwhile, sections farther south experienced substantial erosion.

So why did one section hold up while another lost so much sand?

It appears to have a lot to do with the natural movement of sand around Hereford Inlet.

Strong currents have been moving sand southward, creating what looks like a large bump or bulge in the shoreline around 10th Avenue.

That buildup of sand appears to have helped protect that particular section of beach during the storm.

What Happens to All That Sand?

One of the questions I brought up during my recent beach tour was where all that sand actually goes.

When powerful storms hit the Jersey Shore, waves and currents can move enormous amounts of sand along the coastline and offshore.

Some of that sand may eventually return to the beaches under calmer conditions.

During my visit, I noticed that while the dunes had suffered significant damage, portions of the beach itself were still surprisingly wide at low tide.

There were also noticeable sandbars offshore.

This doesn’t mean North Wildwood no longer needs beach replenishment. Far from it. We very much need it.

But it does show just how complicated our coastline can be. Sand can build up in one location while another section of the beach continues to disappear.

North Wildwood Needs to Rebuild Its Dunes

This brings me to what I believe should be one of the biggest priorities moving forward.

We need to get these damaged dunes repaired.

During my walk along the beach, I could see just how important the vegetation was in keeping portions of the dunes together.

Those deep root systems helped hold the sand in place, even as powerful waves slammed into the shoreline.

But other sections weren’t so lucky. Some dunes were cut back dramatically, and several access ramps will need to be completely rebuilt.

The city has spent years investing in bulkheads, dunes, and beach protection projects.

And based on what I saw, those investments helped prevent even more extensive damage during this storm. However, a dune system that has already been badly eroded may not provide the same level of protection during the next major storm.

That raises an important question. Can North Wildwood secure emergency funding to repair these dunes before another powerful coastal storm arrives?

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The Wildwoods Were Lucky, But We Need to Be Prepared

There’s no question that this nor’easter caused significant damage throughout the island.

West Wildwood experienced serious flooding, residents along the back bays had water entering their properties, and businesses were impacted during what should have been a busy Irish Fall Festival weekend.

Even my own property, which normally doesn’t experience flooding, saw approximately a half of water.

But when it comes to the oceanfront, things could have been much worse.

Our dunes, bulkheads, and wide beaches provided important layers of protection.

The challenge now is figuring out how to rebuild the damaged areas while better understanding those natural coastal processes.

Because eventually, another major storm is going to hit the Wildwoods.

The question is whether we’ll have everything repaired and ready before it arrives.

For a closer look at the damage, including seagull footage of the beaches throughout North Wildwood, Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest, check out our video below (and please subscribe)