Surf City hopes sand push weathers winter storm

SURF CITY, NC (WWAY) — The Town of Surf City has been pushing sand for the past month, but with a major winter storm hitting the Carolinas, town officials are watching the weather very closely.

“I’ve been here my entire life, and, of course, my livelihood depends entirely on tourism, and the beaches are a very integral part in that,” said Chris Medlin, store manager at East Coast Sports in Surf City.

Medlin has grown up in Surf City. He knows directly how important it is to keep the beaches in good condition.

“Ever since I can remember, I remember seeing the dunes being pushed,” he said.

Since mid-December, crews have pushed the sand along the coast of this small beach town against the dunes in hopes of adding extra support. The cold, wind and rain from a major winter storm did not stop them from continuing Friday.

“What we are doing right now is basically thickening that dune a little bit, reinforcing it, and also down around the footing of the steps, putting some sand down there, so if there is some beach erosion, that it will keep the dune and the crossovers fairly healthy,” Surf City Tourism Director Allan Libby said.

Libby says he hopes beach erosion is not a problem with this storm, but the town won’t know for a few days after it passes.

“It’s wait and see, keep an eye on things, and of course this time of the year there are not as many people in the water, but we are concerned about safety of people and property,” he said.

Medlin says dunes are what holds this island together.

“The dunes not only protect oceanfront homes, but the entire island itself so the dunes are an extremely important part of our island,” he said.

Town Manager Larry Bergman says the sand push is moving from south to north and they are halfway done at this point. The push is expected to be done by early February depending on weather and tides.