Salisbury Homeowners Build Sand Dune to Protect Against Storms: $600k Investment Washed Away

After a major storm in February, homeowners in Salisbury, a town about 50 kilometers north of the American city of Boston, were fed up. They decided to build a sand dune on their own.

15.000 ton zand

A contractor had 15,000 tons of sand dumped. The sand dune was finished last week. The full amount, half a million dollars (more than 450,000 euros), was paid out of my own pocket. On a local Facebook page, local residents announced that extra grass could be planted for an additional fee.

Three days after the dune was completed, a storm moved along the east coast of the United States. Images show that almost the entire dune has disappeared into the sea.

“It’s like we’re peeing against the wind,” one of the homeowners counters local broadcaster 10 Boston. Yet he also sees a bright spot: without a dune, the houses might have been damaged by this storm. After the storm in February, there was also damage to several homes along the beach.

The senator from the state of Massachusetts, of which Salisbury is a part, has said he will help. He is trying to make $1.5 million available to have the sand dune rebuilt. “But sand on the beach is not a permanent solution,” he said. “It shows how big the challenge we face is.”

Building a sea wall is also not possible, American media report. Massachusetts law prohibits such a permanent structure on the beach.

2024-03-14 00:59:35
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