On October 23rd, 2025, ACC Member Ocean City, NJ declared a local state of emergency following major erosion of the town's beaches and dunes from recent coastal storms.
At a council meeting Thursday night, councilmembers unanimously voted 7-0 to declare an erosion emergency, Jay A. Gillian, the mayor of Ocean City, said, urging immediate state and federal action.
The nor'easter and the impacts from Hurricane Erin in August took a chunk of the beach away and left behind steep cliffs of more than five feet in spots.
For more than 35 years, Melani Lamond and Brian Ratigan have owned a home on Brighton Place in Ocean City. After the recent nor'easter ate away at the dunes and caused severe erosion, they fear their home may be at risk if another storm comes.
"If they don't get put back, we're really vulnerable, and the hurricane season isn't over by any means," Lamond said.
"I'd say this is about the worst we've seen, but it's certainly something we can conquer," said Keith Hartzell, Ocean City Councilman.
"Dunes do offer the most protection we have for the rest of the island," Hartzell said.
The city said the erosion is most noticeable along a stretch of the downtown beaches from about 5th to 10th street. CBS News Philadelphia has been told based on the shape of the island that the area is more vulnerable to the strong currents and storm surge.
The city tells CBS News Philadelphia it's working with state and federal officials to secure funding for beach replenishment.
According to the American Coastal Coalition, a project in both the North and South ends of Ocean City was scheduled to be nourished this winter, but Congress earmarked zero dollars for nourishment projects in 2025.
"Many houses in New Jersey are equipped to deal with rising floodwaters, but they're not equipped to deal with wave attack. That's why the beaches are so important," said Dan Ginolfi, executive director of the American Coastal Coalition.
The city said councilmembers will also vote to award a contract to help get the permits necessary to do some emergency work on its own, if the city cannot secure funding.
Link: https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/ocean-city-nj-erosion-emergency-vote/