Crews fix beach erosion for second time this season in North Wildwood

NORTH WILDWOOD, New Jersey (WPVI) -- For folks on the beach at 16th Avenue in North Wildwood, New Jersey there was an addition on Tuesday to the calm scenery.

"I noticed the bulldozer. My son is really into trucks so he pointed it out and wanted to get in," said Kimberly Kucher of Philadelphia.

On Tuesday, crews re-built the beach paths along this stretch for the second time this season after an extremely high tide on Saturday left large cliffs behind in the dunes.

"Coupled with a full moon, 30 mph northeast winds, unfortunately, it undid a lot of the work that we had gotten done just in time for Memorial Day weekend," said North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello.

Last month, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection authorized emergency repairs in certain spots impacted by erosion, allowing the town to smooth out cliffs on the dunes and restore beach paths that had been washed away.

But in one night all that work was gone, according to Rosenello.

"Got about a week out of it and then another storm came along and did this damage," said Rosenello.

In years past, North Wildwood has maintained its beaches by trucking sand up the beach from Wildwood, but smaller beaches in spots don't allow for that this year.

Rosenello says he's working with legislators to ask for a state-funded beach replenishment that he hopes will happen sometime next year.

For now, beachgoers are enjoying the sand where they can and maybe walking an extra block or two.

"We thought we were getting on the beach here but this is closed so we have to go down to the next entrance," said Pat Carter from Southampton, Pa.

Officials ask people to stay away from the dunes, specifically any steep cliffs that may form as they can collapse.

Officials say most if not all beach entrances should be open by the weekend.