Vehicular Beach Access Closed In Hampton Bays To Thwart Storm Erosion

HAMPTON BAYS, NY — In preparation for the storm expected to impact the area on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Town of Southampton temporarily closed vehicular beach access points at Road L and on the East side of the Tiana Beach parking lot, officials said.

A post-storm analysis of the area following the December 18 storm showed signs

that those access points were areas that allowed overwash to more freely occur. There
was evidence in the form of sand displacement and elevated water levels on Dune Road
in the vicinity of both locations, town officials said.

Current forecasts suggest that similar wave action might be seen in the coming storm; current forecasts are predicting 15 to 20 foot breaking surf on the ocean beaches, town officials said.

In an effort to make those areas more resistant to overwash, the town planned to attempt
to fill those two possible weak points ahead of the storm.

"It is our hope that this will reduce the amount floodwaters in the roadway, and the amount of sand that is displaced into the road and Tiana Beach parking area," said Town Emergency Manager Ryan Murphy. "We’re hopeful that temporarily closing these weak points may also reduce the possibility of water flow that could have otherwise eroded the dune structure in an east-west direction as it flowed through."

Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore added: "We are constantly trying to evaluate ways in which we can enhance our town’s resilience to flooding and storm threats. I look forward to working with our partners in government to develop long-term mitigation strategies to address our coastal erosion concerns. Our plan is to temporarily close these two access points and then reopen them as soon as possible following the storm. If these preparedness actions are effective, then we may adapt our pre-storm planning to incorporate these actions going forward."

Moore also encouraged residents and visitors to use caution when traveling the roadways during the storm due to possible flooding conditions.