Delaware seeks $2.5 million in coastal disaster aid

A state crew of bulldozer operators pushed sand Wednesday from the edge of the ocean, up the beach and into a pile, their first attempt to rebuild a protective sand dune along the south end of Dewey Beach.

Gov. Jack Markell looked on and thanked the crews for all their work both during and after the Jan. 22-24 storm that washed away much of the dune here and at other Delaware beaches. It was his third official visit to the state's ocean coast to look at the damage since that storm.

He also announced he would seek $2.5 million in federal disaster relief to help rebuild coastal infrastructure damaged during the nor’easter. The request includes money to fix the north end of the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk and to repair stormwater pipes that were broken or damaged by pounding waves during the storm.

Trails in state parks, like the popular Gordons Pond trail through Cape Henlopen State Park, are also on the list of damaged sites that would benefit if President Barack Obama signs off on the damage declaration.

But there is no new money for sand, one of the coast’s most pressing needs.

“We did lose a lot,” Markell said.

Anthony P. Pratt, the state’s shoreline and waterway administrator, said efforts of his crews to rebuild some protective sand dunes along the Atlantic Coast have been hampered.

“We’ve just not had enough sand,” he said.

Crews push sand to rebuild Delaware dunes

A second coastal storm, two weeks after the one in January, washed away much of the sand that crews had been able to amass along the damaged boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, for instance.

State officials can’t seek money for replacement sand from the Federal Emergency Management Agency because the major, public access beach communities along the 24-mile ocean coast have engineered beaches that are paid for, in part, by the Army Corps of Engineers.

“We can’t put in a claim for other federal agencies,” Pratt said. “We have to rely on what the Corps can budget.”

Rehoboth and Dewey beaches are expected to get additional sand sometime this year as part of routine maintenance of their beaches. The federal government pays 65 percent of the cost, and the state pays the rest.

A big concern is that the cost and sand need estimates for maintenance at Rehoboth and Dewey were completed during the summer of 2013, Pratt said. The two beaches were in great shape then thanks to additional sand that was pumped in to repair damage from Superstorm Sandy.

But after a storm in early October, the January storm and one this month, the sand need is much greater than it was when the original maintenance estimates were made, Pratt said.

Delaware’s congressional delegation is working with Corps officials to seek a supplemental appropriation to pay for additional sand, Pratt said.

There is another troubling reality for state officials. Up until now, the state has had the money to cover the local share of these federal sand pumping projects. But greater sand needs likely means greater cost.

With more coastal communities relying on pumped sand to provide a wide, storm-ready beach, there is more competition for dredge crews to do the work. That competition delayed work at Broadkill Beach for more than a year.

When federal officials first requested bids for the work, there were no bidders. The dredge companies already had more than enough to keep them busy repairing beaches damaged during Sandy.

While Dewey and Rehoboth will likely get some sand this year, Bethany and South Bethany beaches also suffered significant dune damage and loss. Those communities aren’t expected to see a maintenance sand pumping project until 2017 under the Corps schedule.

Late last month, state Environmental Secretary David Small warned that it might be time to rethink the way the state pays for beach repairs.

"We are coming upon a crossroads here in Delaware," Small said. "Our local share is defined by state matching dollars. I'm not sure that that's a model even in the near term that is sustainable."

The January storm was one of those rare coastal tipping points in Delaware. It hit with so much power, it reshaped shorelines from Pickering Beach along Delaware Bay south to Fenwick Island along the ocean. The cost of repairs may be too much for the state to handle given other infrastructure needs, Small said.

The storm was bad, so bad that at Lewes, the tide surpassed the record 9.2 feet set at Breakwater Harbor during the March Storm of 1962. There was significant flooding throughout the city and along other Delaware Bay communities from Kent County south to Broadkill Beach. In some areas, the water was so high, people were trapped for days before the water levels dropped.

The high tides, made worse by a full moon, combined with massive waves and near hurricane-force winds to cause significant shoreline erosion – even on beaches that had been bolstered with wide beaches and tall dunes.

On Wednesday, Markell watched crews push sand that is slowly washing back in from an offshore storm bar. That sand will be used to build as much dune as possible. The hope, Pratt said, is that by mid-March volunteers will be able to visit these beaches and plant grasses that hold dunes in place.

“We’re trying to rebuild as much of this dune system as we can," Small said.

Damage estimates for the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk alone total $400,000. The storm lifted the boardwalk decking along several blocks and in the process severed hurricane ties that held it in place. It also shattered some of the below-deck framing.

The day after the storm, Markell visited Bethany Beach to see the damage. The town lost a large portion of its protective sand dunes but at the time Markell was uncertain there was enough damage to seek federal help.

"It's a question of math," he said. "At first, we thought the damage might not be that high."

Reach Molly Murray at (302) 463-3334 or mmurray@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @MollyMurraytnj.