NEWBURYPORT — Residents on 55th Street on Plum Island are wondering how much longer before their homes crumble into the sea, fearing it will take just one more storm for their piece of Plum Island to wash away.
Alice McCarthy of 29 55th St. has noticed the erosion of the beach near the breached South Jetty to be worsening, noting Monday was the worst she has seen it since she bought the home in 2001.
"Yesterday during high tide the snow fence was washed away," McCarthy said from a second-floor deck overlooking the ocean. "There are just posts left, and it took up some of the mat on the walkway. The waves are just scooping the sand out."
This newest example of erosion is occurring more than a mile north of the Beach Center, where waves have torn decks off homes and lapped against foundations. Nearly all of the anti-erosion efforts have been focused on the Beach Center.
McCarthy and her neighbors are watching the waves warily, scared of what could happen during a storm event. Last weekend they noticed a severe change in the erosion pattern with an ocean storm out at sea causing waves to be higher and stronger than usual.
"Sunday the water was all the way up to the dune grass and walkway," McCarthy said, as she motioned to the home on her right that had water almost up the ocean-facing windows. "Everyone is afraid."
Mayor John Moak said yesterday he is working closely with the city's conservation agent and considers the recent erosion a "strong concern."
"We are trying to piece together a plan now," Moak said. "We took pictures last week and again on Monday, and we see some deterioration. It isn't absolutely devastating, but there has been some erosion to the dune so we are meeting to see what we can do."
Moak noted there may be no quick fix for residents on the island as he anticipates proper permitting will have to be obtained for any work to be done.
"Our job right now is to see what kind of permitting has to be done to preserve those homes," Moak said. "An engineer will be involved, without a doubt, possibly the Army Corps of Engineers, definitely some Conservation Committee, maybe some Chapter 91. There are a number of things that have to be done, which could inhibit a quick fix."
Moak said the Conservation Committee would be alerted to the problem and he hopes to set up a meeting with homeowners to see "what they are willing to do" in the coming weeks.
"Last weekend there was an ocean storm and extremely high tides," Moak said.
Ward one City Councilor Larry McCavitt said yesterday he had not been told of the problems around 55th Street and did not know what the solution would be to the problem in his district.
"I don't have a crystal ball," McCavitt said. "We will assess the situation, I presume. I haven't been involved in any erosion issues on Plum Island, and I'm not sure what we can do."
Claire Dunphy of 30 55th St. is getting more and more frustrated with each high tide, as each comes closer to her home.
"There has been steady erosion since the jetty was breached," Dunphy said. "Once that happened on the land side, it has accelerated the erosion almost simultaneously."
Dunphy said the problems residents around 55th Street are facing are due to neglect of the jetty and lack of maintenance over the years.
"The fact is it doesn't matter what the results of these studies are," Dunphy said. "The beach is scalloping all the way up and it is scalloped around 55th street and then again at the center. They knew when they built the jetty, the sand would shift and upkeep is required so it doesn't do it."
Dunphy also noted the criticism residents on the island receive for building in the danger zone but said this is a problem everyone should be concerned about.
"It sort of feels like we are just watching it (the tide) get closer and closer," Dunphy said. "People say we shouldn't have build here, but the fact is in the 1980s the land was clear and taxpayers put a lot of money into the city's coffers and this is going to impact everyone."
Dunphy and McCarthy have been speaking to Plum Island beach advocate Bob Connors and urging the community to pull together since the high tides are affecting the whole island.
"This is going to affect all of our home values and waterlines," Dunphy said. "I just hope they work to fix it before a storm because my home will be washed into the ocean, and the ocean is way too powerful. There hasn't even been a nor'easter yet."
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