Beach erosion main concern for coastal towns

NAHANT, Mass. (WHDH) -- Beach erosion is the main concern for residents in Nahant and other towns as a winter storm once again pummels the coastline.

The powerful winds and high tides pose a threat to the shoreline and beachfront homes.

Plum Island has lost eight feet of sand to beach erosion.

“[The storms] are mostly out of the southeast -- that’s the problem. We can handle the northeast because the jetty kind of breaks them up as they come along, but these coming up out of Texas and moving up and they come directly at us,” said Tom Nee, a Plum Island homeowner.

“This wasn’t as bad as the other storm that we had previously, but the erosion is really taking a hit on us now,” said Tony Funari, Newburyport DPW. “Continuous hits and it’s the same areas it seems like all the time.”

Some residents said they’ve seen worse.

“Years ago, they wouldn’t even let us drive up here, so I don’t think this is that bad right now,” one woman said.

The next couple of high tides could cause major coastal erosion.