Portions Of Bethany Beach Protection Project Destroyed, Flooding Closes Streets

BETHANY BEACH, Del. (WUSA) -- Portions of a controversial $22 million beach protection project have been destroyed by the powerful Nor'easter now moving up the mid-Atlantic coast.

Waves breached sections of the 16-foot-high man-made dune overnight and drove churning seawater underneath at least a half-dozen beachfront homes in South Bethany.  The homes are built on pilings.

"That's a good four feet of sand gone from under the homes," marveled neighbor, Rita Brown. "They all had a backyard of sand, and now there's just water."

Construction on the 3-mile long, dune was completed in May of 2008. The berm has suffered repeated damage since.  The latest blow is the most severe to date.  The cost has not been calculated.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimated that it would take about $3.5 million per year to maintain and repair the dune over the next 50 years.

Many residents objected to the dune because it blocked views of the ocean.  Today, some residents credited the project for saving property.

"If the dune wasn't here, we'd probably be in trouble right now," said Bill Karl, who maintains several beachfront homes for their owners.

A handful of beachfront homes now face additional high tides with no protection except the sturdy pilings they are built on. 

Elsewhere in Bethany, the worst tidal flooding in a decade closed dozens of streets.  Similar effects were seen from Dewey Beach south to Ocean City Maryland.