With no replenishment coming, it’s the next storm I worry about

Since 2009, there have been half a dozen large-scale beach nourishment projects along Delaware’s ocean coastline. Unfortunately, the funding for the next round of replenishment, which would have likely taken place this winter, didn’t come through at the federal level. The Gazette first reported this back in July.

Last year, the federal and state government were able to find more than $20 million for an emergency beach replenishment project at the north beach of Indian River Inlet. The first phase was completed by the state earlier this year, and the second phase is ongoing right now.

I’ll be interested to see if there are any emergency funds available this year for beach replenishment anywhere else along Delaware’s coastline, because it’s going to need it. Strong winds and waves battered the dunes over the course of three days this last week, but they generally withstood the barrage. My concern is that it’s only October, and winter storms around here can be rough on area beaches.

Experts on the subject say the sand removed by the storm isn’t really gone, but it’s in the ocean shallows, just past the breakers, and the beaches will replenish themselves as calmer water pulls the sand back onshore. It’s true. There’s definitely a cycle related to storms pulling sand out into the ocean and then calm waters bringing it back. But it never fully returns. There’s always less than before.

I’m hoping the rest of the fall, winter and early spring are generally calm. I know this, if there’s no beach replenishment this winter, dry sand at high tide for beachgoers will be at a premium next summer.

The weather is crazy

I hit the streets of Milton Monday for my morning run in the rain. I was already soaking wet by the time I got to flooded Front Street, so I decided to keep on moving through the water crossing the street. At its deepest, the water was almost at my knees. Probably not the safest thing to do in the dark, but I was already committed, and going straight through at that point was going to be the fastest way.

There’s a guy who walks his dog over by the Milton Little League fields that I see many mornings on my run. More often than not, we exchange a quick weather-related comment as I run by and before his dog’s nose takes him off into another direction.

A few days after navigating Front Street, the storm had blown through and it was beginning to dry out. I saw the man walking his dog. I actually stopped and said something about how deep the water was on Front Street.

A local’s local, he knew the three days of northeast wind had prevented the Broadkill River from receding on its natural tide cyle. He had a similar story to mine. He was out walking his dog one morning of the storm. He said he wasn’t paying attention and then all of a sudden the water was deeper than the top of his rain boots.

“The water came in and I had to walk home with soaking wet feet,” he said. “Man, the weather is crazy.”

Joke of the Week

It’s hard to believe, but Halloween is just around the corner, which is why Jeff submitted this Halloween-themed joke. As always, send jokes to cflood@capegazette.com.

Person 1: I was chased by a skeleton last night. It caught up to me, but just gave me a kiss and a hug.

Person 2: Why did it do that?

Person 1: Turns out it was an xoskeleton.