Irene bit the beaches, but it could have been worse

HARVEY CEDARS, N.J. - Some people who once lived on gently sloping beaches now live on the edges of cliffs.

The storm surge from Hurricane Irene left 15- to 18-foot drop-offs on some New Jersey beaches, particularly on Long Beach Island. But state environmental officials said the erosion was not so bad that the beaches couldn't be used by Labor Day weekend.

The state Department of Environmental Protection said that the state's 127-mile coastline came through the hurricane in good shape and that past storms had inflicted far worse damage.

"Labor Day weekend should be no problem," said Robert Giovannetti, a construction specialist with the DEP who has measured eroded beaches for 30 years. "It might be a little tight, but you can do it."

Giovannetti said Long Beach Island experienced an average sand loss of four to five feet in height and 150 feet in width.

Gov. Christie and DEP Commissioner Robert Martin flew up and down the coast Sunday to look for damage and were encouraged to find comparatively little, DEP spokesman Larry Ragonese said.

"Apparently the beach replenishment work and the dune projects really paid off," he said. "We're not seeing any truly severe damage to the beaches."

A report compiled Monday evening by the DEP shows beach erosion of two to four feet worth of height and 50 to 100 feet of width was common at most of the Shore.

Beaches that lost up to 150 feet of sand width include Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach, Loveladies, Long Beach Township, Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest.