Cost to replace sand lost during Ida: about $10M
Three-day tropical storm wipes out approximately 600,000 cubic yards
CHRISTINE CULLEN n Staff Writer
OCEAN CITY TODAY/CHRISTINE CULLEN A survey determined that Ocean City's beach lost around 600,000 cubic yards of sand during the recent nor'easter and tropical storm that blew through the region. It will cost around $10 million to replace it. (Nov. 27, 2009) A preliminary damage survey of Ocean City's beach and dunes has been completed and the cost of replacing the estimated 600,000 cubic yards of sand lost during the three-day storm is said to be in the $10 million range.
City Engineer Terry McGean said Army Corps of Engineers surveyors determined the resort lost 50,000 cubic yards of sand from the dunes and around 450,000 cubic yards from the beach.
But that survey only covered the beach up to the high water line, so McGean and the Corps set an estimate of sand lost at 600,000 cubic yards.
To give some perspective, a large dump truck holds between 10 and 15 cubic yards of sand, so it would take about 40,000 dump truck loads to replace what was lost.
"That's a lot of sand," McGean said.
Although $10 million is a significant amount of money, McGean said it is a fair cost for the work involved.
OCEAN CITY TODAY/CHRISTINE CULLEN A man searches the beach on Nov. 14, following the three-day tropical storm that washed away an estimated 600,000 cubic yards of sand from Ocean City's beach. "Our regular beach renourishment project scheduled for the spring is for 800,000 yards of sand, and that is costing around $11 mil- lion," he said.
The additional 600,000 yards of sand needed will be added to the spring project, increasing the overall price tag to around $21 million. Beach renourishment projects like these are paid for 80 percent by the federal government and 20 percent by a special fund set up by the state, Worcester County and Ocean City governments.
Every year, the state puts $1 million into the fund and the county and city contribute $500,000 each. McGean said there is enough money in the fund to cover its share of the expanded project so no additional money will be needed from local taxpayers, but the Army Corps of Engineers must ask Congress to authorize the additional federal dollars needed for its share.
In the meantime, the Department of Natural Resources has already requested an emergency contract to replace the 50,000 yards of sand lost from the dunes, because the dunes are the city's defense against another storm. That work will begin in 30-60 days, as soon as the contract is approved.
"I think we're in decent shape that we could get through one more storm. But we could lose all of the dune in some cases if we get hit again," McGean said.
