Posted on August 14, 2024
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul visited eastern Long Island on Friday to announce a $2.5 million project to protect Ditch Plains Beach from coastal erosion caused by storms.
The Town of East Hampton plans to use the money to restore the Montauk beach, which was severely eroded after a spate of storms this winter.
The project will build up damaged dunes and add sand for new dunes.
“One storm can wash away everything that you’ve built,” Hochul said at a news conference Friday. “Everything that you love can be gone in an instant. That’s why we have to build up our resiliency. This is the peak of hurricane season. It is getting longer [and] more sustained than we ever had.”
Dune restoration is scheduled to begin this fall.
The Town of East Hampton completed a separate project in June that added almost 6,000 cubic yards of new sand to the beach.
Business leaders said protecting Long Island’s beaches is critical for the economy.
“Projects like these do not just benefit the wealthy landowners along the coastline,” said Leo Daunt, president of the Montauk Chamber of Commerce. “They ensure that the dishwashers, landscapers, servers and bartenders can continue to go to work every day and put food on the table.”
The announcement comes as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average season of hurricane activity.
