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Living only a few miles from the great Atlantic Ocean, the beach is a place where I have spent many days of my life. I have watched tremendous storms with powerful surf and fierce winds eat away the shoreline. But, to society there is no cost comparable to beach's pleasures. It seems in the 1990 s everyone wants that exclusive ocean view, but few realize the potential costs in lives, money, and property. And the ultimate cost of such coastal development, experts say, is the beach itself. (Warren, 1999, p. 1) Many lives have been lost to erosion. From houses lost in the surf to giant waves crashing through town.
A tragedy like this happened in Galveston, Texas. A hurricane hit this small town in 1990 and killed 6, 000 people; a massive sea wall was then constructed to help prevent another tragedy like that from happening again (Nash, 1996, p. 18). Erosion causes a higher percentage of damage to society then one might think, because nearly half of the countrys 238 million people live on only 11 percent of the nations land -- the land in coastal counties (Nash, 1996, p. 18). Erosion is very costly, do to efforts trying to prevent and / or fix erosion.
On the other hand, the beach also generates money from tourists. Contributing about 170 billion annually to the economy society can afford to fix the problem of erosion. In New Jersey the Department of Environmental Services installed the STABLERTM Disc Erosion Control System. Resembling a flexible chain of large concrete discs it has helped the erosion crisis in New Jersey (Public Works, 1997, p. 39). But, before long in New Jersey the state and all federal taxpayers will soon be shelling out $ 9 billion to pump sand from offshore areas onto 127 miles of sand-starved beaches (Warren, 1999, p. 3) The beach wins the battle of cost. The biggest problem erosion creates is property damage.
Three houses, awaiting rescue to higher ground, rise from the beach like giant sand castles on stilts -- ready to be reclaimed by the surf. At the edge of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, these are the second group of homes in about five years to have the sand washed beneath their pilings (Nash, 1996, p. 18). Swooping gulls, salty breezes, and waves gently kissing the shore -- a week at the beach can generate lifelong memories. Especially if your beach house topples into the ocean. A study released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency last week suggests that in the next 60 years, up to a quarter of the beach houses in the United States will be nothing but a memory. The inexorable forces of storm, surf, and slowly rising sea levels will claim about 1, 500 structures a year, the researchers predict.
Including the land under these structures, coastal erosion will cause annual property losses of about $ 530 million, according to the report (Perkins, 2000, p. 20). Barrier islands once protected property, but becoming popular places to live they no longer serve their purpose, to protect the mainland communities from storms (Warren, 1999, p. 2). Yet development continues, with some estimates valuing coastal real estate as high as $ 3 trillion. Development is driven by the yearning of Americans to work and play on the coast and government policies that have made it attractive to do so (Nash, 1996, p. 1). The beach needs to move inland, free to move and evolve. At the heart of the issue, experts say, is a fundamental misperception about beach erosion and the nature of beaches.
Sandy coastlines are highly dynamic. Unaltered by man, they exist in perfect balance, eroding in some places while accreting in others. But when man attempts to hold the beach in a particular location, the effort inevitably backfires and erosion rates often accelerate. (Warren 1999, p 1). The beach erosion will take lives, money and property until satisfied, creating a problem for all of society.
Bibliography: References (1997). New Beach Erosion Control System. Public Works v. 128, p. 39 - 40. Retrieved Nov. 3, 2000 from First Search Database (Wilson Select Plus) on the World Wide Web: web Nash, B. J. (1996) Shrinking Beaches, Swelling Problems Cross Sections Summer, p. 18 - 23. Retrieved Nov. 3, 2000 from First Search Database (SIRSResearcher) on the World Wide Web: web Perkins, S. (2000).
Enjoy the Beach-while its still there. Science News, v. 158 (no 2), p. 20 - 1. Retrieved Nov. 3, 2000 from First Search Database (Wilson Select Plus) on the World Wide Web: web Warren, R. (1999) At beaches, sand is running out. Christian Science Monitor, v. 91 (155), p. 1 - 5. Retrieved Nov. 3, 2000 from EBSCO database (Academic Search Elite) on the World Wide Web: web
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