Jersey Shore Beaches Decimated By Hurricane Erin

Hurricane Erin caused Jersey Shore streets to flood and beaches to close, but Thursday's storm also tore up chunks of the shoreline, causing significant beach erosion in some towns.

Beaches from Monmouth County down to Cape May took a beating, experiencing varying levels of sand loss.

Monmouth Beach lost about half of its beach, the borough's mayor told the Asbury Park Press.

Further south, Bay Head also lost sand, despite the borough completing a beach replenishment project the month prior, according to NJ.com. Waves tore down dune fences there, the report said.

Some beach paths were closed and ocean access was limited Friday morning in Avalon, local officials said.

"Significant beach erosion occurred last night, and some erosion continues today," borough officials said.

A video shared on social media shows cliff-like conditions at 8th Street in Ocean City.

"Yesterday’s storm caused beach erosion, and our Public Works team is working between tides to restore safe beach access," Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian said Friday. "I walked the beaches today, and I’m thankful that our dune system does such a great job in protecting our homes and streets. It was great to see so many people enjoying the beach."

Brigantine Mayor Vince Sera said that much of the city's recent replenishment was washed away, estimating that two to three feet of sand was lost in the island's North End since Wednesday.

"What used to be a six to eight year beach replenishment cycle now seems closer to every two to three years across many shore towns," Sera said.

Sera said that coastal mayors would be meeting with Rep. Jeff Van Drew, other community leaders and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to discuss the future of replenishment. Federal budget cuts mean that many towns have put their beach nourishment projects on hold - no federal dollars were allocated for beach replenishment in 2025.

"This storm has really demonstrated the need for exploring additional, long-term solutions such as protective structures or low-profile jetties that can help reduce erosion, protect homes, and hold sand in place longer after replenishment," Sera said.