Wrightsville Beach facing beach erosion from last week’s storm

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Monday marks one week since a powerful storm pummeled the Cape Fear causing significant damage.  

Carolina Beach and Kure Beach experienced significant flooding.  

WWAY went to Wrightsville Beach Monday where the town had lots of beach erosion. 

Many areas of the Cape Fear were impacted by last week’s storm. In Wrightsville beach, parts of the beach were washed away.  

Johnnie Williams, an employee at Access 16 Beach Shop talks about the greatest impact he saw.  

“I’ve seen some erosion out here on the beach. The tide is considerably higher than it normally is. It does not come so close to the lifeguard stand. There is probably about a 2-foot drop off from where it washed out underneath the pier. Then, down by the Holiday Inn down on the North Side of the Island it’s probably about a 5- or 6-foot drop from where the storm washed it away,” Williams said. 

Many people, like Robert Johnson, an employee at Johnnie Mercers Fishing Pier, are concerned about just how much sand has been washed away. Especially since a beach renourishment project was completed earlier this year. 

“We lost most of the beach out there. We just got a big dredging done. All of the dredging was done during the springtime. Then right as the first storm hit, we lost most of it…We’re going to be in a constant process of dredging the beaches and then a hurricane comes,” Johnson adds.   

Wrightsville Beach Mayor Pro-Tem Hank Miller says Wrightsville has seen worse. 

“There are some escarpment areas that were bad. But they’re not the worst we ever had, and we were very fortunate that we were not in the condition we were in last year before the sand was pumped,” Miller said. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the nourishment cycle for Wrightsville beach is every four years, but, if necessary, they can request funding for a more frequent schedule. 

However, the corps of engineers says based on its preliminary inspection, emergency action is not needed at this time.  

Town manager Tony Wilson says the Army Corps of Engineers will be reassessing the beach this week and will decide what happens next.