Jersey Shore Beaches Temporarily Closing Following Erosion

JERSEY SHORE, NJ — As Memorial Day weekend gets closer, some beaches will be closed thanks to erosion from the Mother's Day weekend storm, according to reports.

Large amounts of sand were wiped away in shore areas like Ortley Beach, North Wildwood, Stone Harbor and Brigantine, a report from NJ.com said.

The damage left "cliffs" on the beaches, which can be seen in these pictures of the North Wildwood shore shared by the Facebook page "Wildwood Boardwalk." The cliffs also were present in Brigantine, shared by local news outlet Real Brigantine on their Facebook page.

According to NJ.com, North Wildwood lost about a third of the approximately $4 million in sand used to replenish the beach.

This has caused a major delay in beach replenishment, the report said, meaning that some areas of the beaches will not be open in time for Memorial Day. However, these areas will be clearly marked, the report said.

Beaches between 3rd Avenue and 7th Avenue lost a significant amount of sand, as did beaches from 7th Avenue to 15th Avenue, according to NJ.com.

Ortley Beach suffered erosion of the dune during the nor'easter over Mother's Day as well, with an area north of the former Joey Harrison's Surf Club property affected by the damage.

Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill said the affected area is about 25 percent of the beach in Ortley Beach, and that "75 percent of the beach is open and accessible."

"We don't really have a walkover in that area anyway," Hill said.

The Toms River Township Council approved a resolution to advertise for sand bids that will be opened May 25; once the council approves a bid, the replenishment is expected to take two weeks, Hill said, meaning that portion of the beach should reopen about the time Ortley Beach is fully opened and staffed for the summer season in mid-June.

Ortley Beach has been regularly battered by storms, including suffering a direct hit during Superstorm Sandy. It was heavily fortified during the Army Corps of Engineers dune construction and beach replenishment project, but Hill said the area near the former surf club has been identified as a hot spot by the Army Corps and will require regular, additional attention.

"It's a constant battle with Mother Nature," Hill said, noting the township is anticipating reimbursement from the federal government of $500,000 it spent for beach restoration it completed in 2021 following storm damage. So far, the dunes are doing their job in protecting properties, Hill said.

A few feet of dunes on Stone Harbor were cut back by erosion as well, the report said, but the total damage is not yet known. A small amount of sand will be replenished before the holiday weekend, with a larger beachfill later in the year, the report said.