Beach Erosion Along New Jersey Coast

February 03, 2010

Beach Erosion in NJ

Photographer: Jim Phillips
Summary Author
: Jim Phillips; Jim Foster; Stu Witmer

The photo above shows considerable beach erosion at Surf City, New Jersey. This past fall, a series of big east coast storms (nor’easters) pummeled the U.S. Middle Atlantic coast. One in mid-November, the remnant of Tropical Storm Ida, was especially damaging. It was blocked by an area of high pressure over New England, which impeded its progress up the Atlantic seaboard. This nearly stationary, extratropical cyclone drew in air from hundreds of miles out in the Atlantic Ocean, creating a tremendous fetch from the open ocean toward the Middle Atlantic States. The counterclockwise winds, close to hurricane force in strength, ushered in huge waves from the east. On the scene above, the stairways are on private property, and the tide was halfway between high and low tide -- black sand marks the normal high tide line. Watch that last step; it's a doozie! Photo taken on January 21, 2010
 
Surf City, New Jersey Coordinates: 39.60083, -74.21111

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