200 to 300 truckloads of sand were being dumped in front of several homes at North Beach in an effort to shore up the houses and replace what the waves washed away.
"The floor of the garage at that home actually fell out onto the beach. The water was completely under the house," Chris Decker of North Beach said, pointing to a home on the beach.
Long Beach Township officials say the emergency action is necessary because of the risk a beach in the condition it is in poses.
Public Works Superintendent Bob Parker told Action News it is important to shore up everything, including the dunes, to protect not just beachfront owners, but everyone.
"I'm the third house off the ocean and we put a lot of stuff up in our garage. It's up high, but it's scary," resident Judy Meehan said.
Kyle Byrnes owns a beachfront home nearby and has signed an easement to let the Army Corps of Engineers conduct a beach replenishment project in Long Beach Township; there is one going on now in Harvey Cedars.
"We have a lot of money invested in our property and not just for oceanfront owners, but for all the people on the island that use the beaches; if we don't do something, we're going to lose them," Byrnes said.
The frustration, of course, is that whether it's a temporary or permanent fix, the waves could come and wash it away in a matter of hours leaving beaches and homes vulnerable once again.
