US town’s $565,000 sand dune project washed away in days

A group of wealthy US homeowners spent $565,000 (£441,000) to build protective sand dunes near their properties – only to have the barriers wash away in days.

The group in Salisbury, Massachusetts, trucked in about 14,000 tonnes of sand in hopes of protecting up to 15 homes.

Those protections washed away, however, and residents now hope the state will help fund a more permanent solution to safeguard their seaside homes.

About 9,000 people live in Salisbury, near the New Hampshire border.

In a Facebook post, Salisbury Beach Citizens for Change said $565,000 was collected from property owners, resulting in the placement of the sand.

But when a large storm hit just days later, much of the barrier washed away. In a separate post, the group said the dunes had prevented some houses from being “eaten up”.

“The sacrificial dunes did their job,” the group said. “The shock was it happened three days after the project was finished.”

Tom Saab, the head of Salisbury Beach Citizens for Change, told the BBC that the group had “begged” Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and the state to help re-fortify the beach after a particularly brutal storm in December 2022.

He alleged that they had “refused to help” and had left their properties vulnerable to flooding and storm damage. Their inaction, he said, had forced the community to fund the short-term fix.

“A project of this magnitude should have been done by an engineering company or the state and federal government,” Mr Saab added. “But our little volunteer group from Salisbury pulled off a minor miracle.”

A spokesperson for Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation said in a statement that the agency had closed two points of beach access due to the storm damage, has met regularly with the community and “will continue to work with them to address the impacts of erosion at the Beach”.

The department added that in recent months it had made repairs, placed sand to restore dunes and removed unsafe structures to enhance local protections.

But local residents allege the state of Massachusetts – which regulates the beach – needs to do more to find a long-term solution.

“The residents that repaired the dune in front of their property actually helped both the city and the state,” Salisbury Beach Citizens for Change wrote on Facebook. “Now it’s their turn to step up to the plate.”

The homeowners group now plans to install snow fencing and plant dune grass, which could help prevent sand from blowing away in the future. The project is expected to cost at least $1.5m, but it is unclear where the money will come from.

“Sacrificial sand buys time, but it does not buy permanence,” Bruce Tarr, a Republican state senator who represents the area, told NBC News. “Obviously, this has been a very difficult year, we haven’t been able to stay ahead of it, but we need to continue to work together and use the tools that are available.”

Salisbury Beach Citizens for Change held a meeting this week to discuss the project and other solutions with other state officials.

The group has also faced criticism for their efforts.

“Throw down all the sand you want,” one man commented on Facebook. “Mother nature decides how long it will protect your homes.”

According to a report released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) last year, about one in four Americans live in coastal areas that are “highly vulnerable to natural disasters”.