Dune Project Suspended Amid Strong Waves From Florence

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Though Hurricane Florence will not make a direct landfall at the Jersey Shore, Toms River officials have been keeping an eye on the potential impacts to the shore.

Florence is expected to make landfall in the Carolinas sometime Friday, bringing strong waves, rip currents and the potential for beach erosion.

That could have a significant impact on the beach replenishment and dune construction project work that has been done so far by Weeks Marine, the contractor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The work on the project has been suspended from Mantoloking all the way to Seaside Park as the dredge vessels all have been moved to safe harbor due to the storms, said Steve Rochette, spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers' Philadelphia district.

In addition, the pipelines and equipment that have been used to bring the sand onto the beach have been stored. In Ortley Beach, the pipeline and equipment is completely off the beach, he said. In Seaside Park, it has been stored on the toe of the dunes, "the highest point possible," ahead of the storm, he said.

"Everything has been disassembled until there is more favorable weather," Rochette said.

The dune project has been underway in Ortley Beach since mid-July and was not expected to be completed until sometime in November.

Rochette said work had been scheduled to begin in the Toms River north beaches this week but will be delayed as a result of the storms. Pipeline was supposed to be installed at Pompano Way , with the Dredge Magdeline coming north from Long Beach Island, where it is completing work in Harvey Cedars. The Magdeline has been moved to safe harbor as well, he said, so the work on the Toms River north beaches likely will not happen until mid-October, he said.

The Toms River Office of Emergency Management said OEM Coordinator Paul Daley was in discussions with township officials, the school district and the police and fire companies about the potential needs if Florence had come more north. While those plans are now de-escalated, OEM officials are still urging residents to make sure they are prepared in case a hurricane does come north.

"While we have been spared the worst of #Florence, it is imperative that we keep ourselves in a state of readiness for whatever is thrown our way," OEM officials said on the township's OEM Facebook page.

In Brick Township, officials said anyone who is concerned about the potential for flooding can get free sandbags from the township's Department of Public Works.

Gov. Phil Murphy and Col. Patrick Callahan of the New Jersey State Police are urging residents to be prepared, even though Florence is not hitting New Jersey directly.

"Events such as Superstorm Sandy have taught us that awareness and preparedness saves lives. We encourage everyone to prepare today," Callahan said. "Make time with your family to build a kit, a go-bag and create a communication plan. Tune in, log-on, opt-in, 'like' or 'follow' state, county, local and federal agencies for credible disaster-related information such as alerts and warnings, situational awareness updates, and where to find help."

"Personal connections matter, too," he said. "After you've completed your household preparedness activities, lend a hand to someone who may need assistance, or join the 27,000 New Jerseyans who have completed Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training."

Read more: Gov. Murphy Updates NJ On Hurricane Florence's Potential Impact

Toms River OEM said the township has had its nine high-water rescue vehicles in place due to concerns about flooding from the nor'easter that moved through last weekend. "Thankfully, (we) only responded to one 'non-event,' " they said.

Here's a list of steps to take to be prepared ahead of time for a hurricane, so you aren't scrambling at the last minute.

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Pipeline and beach replenishment equipment has been stored as high as possible toward the toe of the dune in Seaside Park, as seenin this photo taken Monday, Sept. 10 at 9:54 a.m., during high tide. Photo by Carl Cipriani, Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District