Delaware’s Department of Natural Development and Environmental Control says this week’s nor’easter storm had significant effects on coastal communities and beach dunes.
DNREC says storm conditions produced visible erosion, dune scarping -which causes dunes to form cliff-like faces- and waves higher than dune level in nearly every coastal community.
DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management Section Administrator Josh Lippert says this was expected.
“While many dunes and beaches currently appear damaged, this is a normal and expected result of an early season nor’easter activity. Over the coming days, weeks, and months, natural tidal and wave cycles will begin to redistribute sand and gradually reestablish more stable beach profiles in most locations.“ he said.
Bowers Beach is being identified by DNREC as an area of priority due to visible erosion and significant loss of beach elevation.
Bowers Mayor Ada Puzzo told DPM, "All of sudden, trees that were planted are uprooted and the dune is getting dangerously close to people's homes and underneath their homes, and it’s bad. It’s very bad. This storm just made it a little bit worse, I mean it’s been bad for a long time.”
Bowers often gets beach replenishments from DNREC, which Puzzo says are internally referred to as “truck hauls” by the town. These hauls, like the name suggests, bring trucks of sand to temporarily restore the beach.
Puzzo says those deliveries are only meant to be temporary, and that by the end of a storm season the sand is typically gone.
Other coastal communities, like Bethany Beach, were documented by DPM as experiencing some flooding in residential areas. DNREC also notes that the Indian River Inlet experienced some impacts.
Governor Matt Meyer activated the National Guard to assist impacted communities where needed.
DNREC has not reported any structural damage along the coast as a result of this nor’easter but adds this was just the beginning of this winter's storm season.
