Thursday, October 23, 2008

STRATHMERE RESIDENTS STACK BAGS TO PREVENT FLOODING


Cleve Bryan ( cbryan@nbc40.net ) - 10/23/08 04:16 pm
http://www.nbc40.net/view_story.php?id=7260


UPPER TOWNSHIP - Several residents whose properties are at risk in Strathmere's Northend have taken the work of protecting their homes into their own hands.

Jack Cooper says, "We got the lads here filling the sand bags so that we'll have a little protection from the water that may be running down the street if we get a pretty good storm."

After massive amounts of sand eroded from in front of the island's seawall, a nor'easter–like storm last weekend sent waves rolling down the streets.

Now a storm with driving rains and gale-force winds is predicted for this weekend.

Jay Edinger says, "If the water gets any higher it will probably start washing up into my driveway so I'm putting the sand bags down to keep the water from coming up and over the driveway into my garage."

Some homeowners say they've been through much worse storms and never had to worry like they do now.

Edinger says, "This house has been through the Hurricane of '44, the Storm of '62 and now we have a simple nor'easter and Strathmere's bracing for an emergency."

Township officials hope that the rocks at the end of Seaview Avenue which were not in place for last weekend's storm to stop the flooding will do the job this weekend, and tomorrow they're putting bigger rocks in place.

Some residents say it's reassuring to see Upper Township crews working to fortify the seawall, but they wish more could have been done sooner.

They never thought it would get to the point where they were constructing their own walls.

"Not exactly," says Cooper, "But we're lucky enough to have a beautiful home so you got to be here to protect it."

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