Try telling this to the private owners (Jenkinsons) of Point Pleasant Beach.

Jetty's are more important...
They will make the beach deeper and more stable and not need replenishment every year...

Then comes "walls" like those in Monmouth Beach.. but they don't need to be that high... most boardwalks are elevated 4-5 feet... so build the wall along side that is 8-9feet high... that is all you need.
Dunes need to be high and deep... 20ft high and 20ft deep... why... because when it gets battered by a storm for hours... erosion will occur... but a large enough dune will outlast a short storm...
walls are better.

is it true that many of these beach homes, that insurance companies are smart enough not to insure, are rebuild by subsidies of the government insurance type? Or did the government stop that? I doubt it because of the wealth on the beach lobbied to have other people pay for their homes. If you live on a mile wide strip of sand less then a few feet above high tide, should you be allowed to have a house that's destined to be washed away, polluting and destroying that lovely fragile coastline land with it's mess? just saying. it's like you are peeing in the wind only we are getting splashed on by your pee too.

doesn't this genius realize dunes are sand and the ocean has learned how to move sand around from the begginning of the planet? how many licks does it take to get to the center of a dune? let's see. a 1 and a 2 and tidal wave through your house.

In Barnegat Light, in the late 60s and early 70s, A Jerome Walnut R.I.P. and the Bob and Lucille Patrick R.I.P. (who lived on the oceanfront btwn 15th & 16th St) were dune preservation and restoration advocates. (Some would say extremists.) Mrs. Patrick with her bullhorn "Please get off the dunes!" was not shy about it. They organized the Boys Scouts to annually plant dune grass. Barnegat Light listened, maybe reluctantly. Only Barnegat Light was lucky enough to have had these people as part of their history. Other towns on LBI laughed at them. They are not laughing now.

The Barnegat Light Volunteer Fire Department Chief has reported that Barnegat Light was essentially spared as compared to anything south of 30th Street. Oceanside homes suffered no water damage just some spotty wind effects. Bayside homes may have suffered some flooding depending on location but no obvious structural damage.

http://barnegatlight.org/HurricaneUpdate.htm

that's a foot in the last hundred but all scientist see melting caps and glaciers at ever increasing speeds now. So, if in the last century the melt just started truly in the last 20 years so increase rate by 5 or more. No?

Anyone know if Obama gonna give us poor people free beach houses now? I want my free Obama house!! I gots my phone already nice black iphone 5S.

Watch out for the highest beach tag fees in the summer of 2013 disguised as restoring the shore.

just like all the cable companies are acting like they are doing a huge favor by waiving any extra message or testing... that just mean next year ( if not sooner) our rates will go up...

Oh no, Jeff the kook has spoken again.

NONE of this ought to be up to the homeowner. None. They make lousy, selfish decisions. Taxes went DOWN because of the dune? Get over yourelves. PUT the DUNES UP! over the height of their home if necessary, to protect them. So you have to get OUT of your home to see the ocean. Big Deal. If you have no dune, no one ought to be able to live in any of those homes without full flood coverage. I am tired of SUBSIDIZING your ocean front living with FEMA loans and federal funding to protect you. Protect yourself. And the ocean front homes don't want US on the beach? Huh. You don't own the beach and it's not YOURs. If it is YOURS then PAY for everything yourself. Every ocean front homeowner ought to be hit good and hard with the cost of all this then. You don't want US there, then you don't get our money to help with a thing. THIS is what's wrong and THIS is what should stop. Now. While things are a mess, open that land up to parking so visitors can visit. No one should rebuild. If this were just like Island Beach State Park, no one would have lost a thing.

Damn straight:
Now as we rebuild our dunes using public money there has to be public access. We cannot allow towns to use public money to rebuild dunes, and turn around and deny the public access to beaches or waterways.

In the last 20 years, the federal government has given New Jersey close to $500 million to do beach replenishment. The state of New Jersey has spent another $500 million. We have seen around $1 billion dollars worth of sand wash away with the last storm. It will take a lot of public money to restore our beaches and restore the dunes and public access must come along with that investment.

The waterfront homeowners are the ones who should pay. They want all the benefits with NONE of the responsibility or expense. I don't feel sorry for them one bit. I am sorry. They asked for where they live and what happened is an obvious consequence of daring mother nature and being irresponsible. NONE of the homes ought to be rebuilt with one penny of public money. NONE. Look at how much WE have spent and they DARE to make it inaccessible. BayHead, Mantoloking.....No one can get to the beach there. Well, PAY for it yourself. There are those of us who have lost as well because of this. But, I'd love the opportunity for someone to do something to protect us from this in the future.

Skizma, first, let me start by saying... shame on you for saying you do not feel sorry for the ocean front families. There should be no devide in a time when people are hurting from sandy hook to cape may, from beach front to inland. Second, FEMA will probably pick up the tab. Third, If you had there kind of money you would be living there as well. Fourth, how quickly you forget that without there taxes, yours would be much higher. Fifth, Bayhead is accessible.... and finally, those Dunes as we can see now, will also protect properties that are blocks away from the beach.
Sorry, one last thing... why not blame the past Gov, Mayors, Council members for letting all this building happen in the first place...

PPNB, not inland, pay regular price for beach passes and yes, I to take care of my famly and business first. Hope you and yours are doing well....

I live 5 blocks from the Bay in N Middletown and the dune that is at Ideal Beach saved pretty much all of N Middletown from Sandy's destruction unlike our neighboring towns of Port Monmouth and Keansburg! I am definitely in agreement that dunes are VERY important! The presence of this dune is proof how important they are!!

Agreed on the dunes. I live in Bradley Beach, on Ocean Avenue. I watched the storm, and watched our dunes take a beating on our behalf. Outside of a sandy mess on ocean avenue, and some houses with torn off aluminum siding, Bradley Beach got off very light in this storm. Those dunes took the bullet for us. I hope they are rebuilding them this winter.

Dunes didn't help Mantoloking much....

Looks like the ocean ripped them apart, then went on to the homes....

George clark if a 3M beach home pays 30k in taxes and sends 2 kids to the schools, gets their trash picked up and other basic services and another house valued at 300k pays 3k in taxes and has 2 kids in the schools, gets the same trash pickup etc, the combined taxes paid are 33K for the exact same services. One pays 90% and the other 10% towards the total bill for identical benefits. You don't think that the less expensive house is having their services subsidized? Why don't they both just pay 16,500 then?

Further, let's assume they don't rebuild the 3M house. There won't be any taxes paid yet the spending will be the same. Where will that money come from then?

Progressive taxes always subsidize the costs for everyone else. That is why income taxes are progressive and everyone fights a flat tax which is fair. What could be more fair than everyone paying the same price for the same benefit no different than buying food, gas, insurance, etc.

Come on, let's have fairness. Everyone pays the same for the same services.

I agree with the author of this article. This appears to be another instance of the haves receiving a bail- out at the expense of the have-nots. His point is well taken. You can own a home, you cannot own an ocean or a beach. 'You didn't build that"!

I find it amazing how so many people now have reached the conclusion that summer vacation homes on NJ's barrier islands are inappropriate. For years, while nothing was wrong, NJ residents were happen to collect enormous property tax payments from people owning homes on its barrier islands. If you question the size of these payments, take a look at the annual taxes being paid by Toms River and Brick residents on the barrier island. In fact, it is hard to believe that Ocean County could survive without the taxes being paid by its barrier island residents. As I understand it, these small islands make up about 33 percent of the County's tax base. These residents use relatively little services and, in the main, don't send children to school there. Maybe people could focus on the real benefit that exists for local residents by this situation. Also, after years of paying flood premiums, this is probably the first meaningful instance that the barrier island residents will be making significant claims. I'd like to know how much of the national program's already existing debt relates to NJ's barrier islands. Residents have paid the requested premiums and are rightfully getting payment under coverage for which they contracted. This is not a windfall, but the insurer's obligation.

I'm sorry that you are angry about these issues, Ric. I think you should re-read what I said. To respond to your claim, however, you also might consider the larger picture about the benefit provided to taxpayers. If Ocean County loses a third of its tax base, do you not think the State government will have a hand in funding the gap for the seniors, services and schools that still need to be funded in inland areas? I presume you pay State taxes and this will impact you. Also, I understand the federal flood insurance program and how it works quite well. I know that I have paid premiums for more than a decade, will keep paying them for very limited coverage and have never made a claim. My home is almost 70 years old and fine, thanks for asking. You may want to read up on the program's changes to raise rates for second homeowners to private market rates. That came into effect before Sandy, and there's no bailout in that. But I wasn't complaining, and as I said, I pay what is requested of me. And, it's "her" not "his" -- women own homes too.

@Daiz- you will see that Eric (ric) will go on and on on rants that really make no sense.. Its best not to feed into him and ignore him. Trust me..:) Have a good day

And wait till he comes back attacking me:) Its will make you laugh .. lol..

Ms. Diaz is fight. Barrier island homeowner's pay more than their fair share of taxes. Seems like the rest of you forget that NJ taxes also go to restoring and rebuilding perpetual flood sites like Bound Brook, Passaic, Pompton Lakes and places like the Perth Ambiy waterfront. Elizabeth, Sewarren and Port Reaing. We help where help is needed, it's the American way!

As a beach area property owner I wouldn't mind public access if all the non-owners treated the beach, the dunes and the properties with the same respect the taxpayers do! Most of you are a bunch of thoughtless slobs when you SE the beaches.

Before the dunes get restored, the design should be improved. Check out the two photos I posted. Having a street line up with access openings which allows storm surge to accelerate inland, and in some cases, Belmar, fill up a lake, does not make sense.

Why keep wasting tax payer's money on beaches that will continue to erode? Stop the wasteful spending and restructure the town onto HIGHER ground! No more higher ground? Move out!

Ric you make an interesting point about homeowners taking on the future risks. Do you think the same about flood insurance should apply to all the cities and towns in other major flood plains like the Mississippi or locally the Delaware where hundreds on small towns sit on both the PA and NJ side? What about New orleans which sits below sea level? Are they still covered? What about everyone on the West Coast on the earthquake faults? How are they covered?

Yes well the point is that dunes are least invasive and most economical way to protect property. Since you quoted my current litigation I should add that already on the books are federal, state, and municipal ordinances regarding the standards for dunes and also for dune maintenance. The major point is that the borough of Point Pleasant Beach had no real dune inspector. That did not prevent everyone from maintaining their dunes. I did so for the last 15 years and my house survived undamaged. Other private owners also were religious with dune maintenance. But there is always someone who refuses to do it, however, it is the responsibility of the municipality per ordinance to make sure it happens. Dune building is a cooperative effort and each owner along the beach must also maintain a dune to form a continuous line of protection. Unfortunately this does not always happen and the municipally has not shown much interest in making it happen either. I have a lot of before and after photos; many people did not have to lose everything to the flood waters, its a crying shame. Anyone who would like to see the photos please email me JohnLMullen@facebook.com

@pundit - I think the private insurers got out of this business because the insured risks far exceeded any premiums paid and that the Fed Gov in their infinite wisdow said they would do it and make the money. Go figure they do so many things well now (sarcasm). I wonder what their track record is on this.

Why would any insurer underwrite houses in flood plains, on earthquake fault lines or below sea level? It's not a question of if the losses will occur but when.

Climate change puhleaaase!! Who is "they" ?

No amount of premiums on multi-million dollar beach front homes could ever pay for the potential insured loses. It's simple math. The federal government stepped in to do something they knew going in was unprofitable and unsustainable. But hey why do they care, they don't balance the books on anything.

if I own a $3 million beach house and pay $10k a year, how many years do I have to pay claims before I breakeven on a $3 million claim?

logic seeker is obsessed with climate change. good thing there are a few billion chinese and indians that think he is an idiot and will keep burning carbon while we listen to these socialist envirowackos that try to crush our economy.

You are missing the point, no amount of premiums could ever pay for the losses that is why no one in NJ covers it and neither should the federal government especially when they are going to borrow the money to pay the claims. Your attack the insurance company BS is just BS.

Seeker they got out long before just like they did when car insurance rates were out of control (and yet still are). Why are you always attacking the insurance companies? What are their profits that warrants such an attack? Show us some evidence. State Farm stopped issuing flood insurance long before Irene.
no one can make money at it so why is our borrowing addict in Washington doing it?

A few facts to keep in mind from a Time Magazine article:
http://business.time.com/2012/10/30/should-the-federal-government-be-subsidizing-flood-insurance/

(1) Flood insurance is federally subsidized.
"Congress set up the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to provide flood insurance to the general public and promote effective floodplain management. Under the program, homeowners in certain areas of the U.S. are required to buy flood insurance, and communities that hope to benefit from the program have to enforce city-planning regulations set out by FEMA, which manages NFIP."

(2) We all pay for federally subsidized flood insurance.
"According to a 2010 report issued by the Institute for Policy Integrity, Congress has historically set the premium rate too low for flood insurance — effectively subsidizing building in flood-prone areas at the expense of taxpayers at large."

(3) Federally subsidized flood insurance has other side effects.
(a) "Environmental effects of NFIP policy may be more severe than the financial effects."
(b) "There is evidence to support the view that the government is actually encouraging citizens to live in areas most in danger of flood damage."
(c) "NFIP usually benefits the very wealthy at the expense of the poor."

Homeowners insurance or flood insurance? Big difference!

Its also very interesting to note that the Borough of Point Pleasant Beach has decided to appeal the Mullen/Levine v. Ippolito ruling from the Appellate Division to the NJ Supreme Court. The borough is clearly in denial about the dune ordinance and other issues the court dealt with in this ruling. What a great idea? Use taxpayer money to continue litigation rather than admit a mistake, suck it up and deal with it.

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones..and people who live near the water should have flood insurance.

The Point Beach Environmental Commission apparently has a dune inspector. What has been done to protect the dunes, and therefore the homeowners? Instead of fining people for cutting down trees, which I'm sure they'll try to do if they don't replant storm damaged ones, why don't they do something to actually enforce the dune issue.

It's a catch 22. If the landowners have their say, they charge fees for access. If the state oversees the beaches is paves the way for eminent domain,"sustainable development" and NOBODY gets to use the beaches.

My place was just south of the Thunderbird. They put bulk heading in front of their place. It caused the build up of energy in the waves to eat our large very healthy dune system. While there is no dune in place I would like to see bulk heading installed to protect the existing house line on the beach and then let the dunes grow over the PVC bulkhead. It may be 50 years till we need it but it will be there.

Concrete seawalls.

Since I'm freaking old, I remember when most of the shore towns (like the one I grew up in), only had small bungalows and shanty-like houses near the beach. If they roof blew off in a storm, no biggie. Now, with multi-million dollars houses so close to the ocean, it is a big deal when they get destroyed. People have to realize the ocean, and mother nature, will always win.

Its true Donald, $250,000 on the structure and $100,000 for contents. But without flood insurance can you get a mortgage? I don't think you can and it certainly is required for a mortgage right now.