FREEHOLD, NJ—Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today met with District Commander Lt. Colonel Park and other key officials from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) in Bay Head to take a closer look at the severe beach erosion after the recent coastal storm (Winter Storm Orlena, January 31 – February 2, 2021).

Requested by Rep. Smith last week, the Army Corps Commander’s visit and his personal assessment of the damage to Bay Head’s beaches follows the Corps’ initial determination that the borough does not qualify for emergency federal funding since the most recent storm activity does not meet its definition of an “extraordinary storm event.”

The Army Corps reported that Bay Head is one of just nine towns that suffered “severe” damage, and the NJDEP classified the damage in Bay Head as “major erosion which consists of significant or total beach berm loss and/or significant erosion and scarping of the dunes.”

“The damage sustained by our beaches not only raises serious environmental concerns but also endangers the safety and livelihood of residents,” Smith said.

“We are asking the Corps and the NJDEP, which serves as the non-federal sponsor for operation and maintenance, to take another look and determine how we can work together and advance recovery work as quickly as possible.”

Last Friday, in the wake of the storm, Smith spoke with Lt. Colonel Park—at which time he invited the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to visit Bay Head. Smith has spoken to Mayor Bill Curtis on several occasions after Curtis reached out to Smith for assistance on February 4th.

According to Bay Head’s post-storm assessment, three out of four beaches in the borough had no “dry beach” at high tide following the storm, and almost all beach access points—save for one—were closed due to the erosion. The most serious damage to Bay Head’s beaches is between Mount Street and Harris Street, where erosion has eliminated nearly all of the seaward slope of the dunes.

“I thank the Army Corps of Engineers for responding to my urgent request. Bay Head and other communities that have already suffered “major damage” stand especially vulnerable to any additional storms and need immediate support and relief,” Smith added.

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