Shore Towns Eye New Ways to Protect Beaches

Many New Jersey shore towns are considering new and costly ways to protect themselves in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.

They include sand-filled "geotubes" in Mantoloking and Brick; an expanded rock wall in Bay Head; rock jetties running parallel to the coast in Avalon; and, for the first time, sand dunes in Longport.

The towns say they can't afford to keep rebuilding homes and beaches wrecked by major storms and need ways to protect against future damage.

Brick is considering joining its neighbor Mantoloking in placing sand-filled fabric tubes on the beach and covering them with sand to form the basis of new protective dune systems.

Avalon is considering a so-called groin field of offshore rock piles to blunt the force of big waves and storm surges.

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