Officials searching for solutions to Salisbury beach erosion

SALISBURY, Mass. — Midwinter storms along New England’s coast are devastating for property owners.

In Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, high water caused big problems for homes and businesses

And further south, in Salisbury, Massachusetts, where property owners spent 600-thousand dollars to install 15-thousand tons of sand, the high water took away half of it in a single day.

Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton spent the day visiting the impacted beach areas.

He says climate change is the culprit, and changes need to be made.

The congressman says, nationally, it will take trillions of dollars.

“This is a consequence of not doing anything about climate change,” Congressman Moulton said. “These are lifelong communities. People have lived here for generations. And obviously, they want to maintain these properties, but climate change is changing the nature of our coastline.”

Some property owners in Salisbury say there are much simpler solutions to saving this beach, but they need some help.

“If they would just listen to the property owners, a little bit, we would accomplish great things here,” said Tom Saab, president of Salisbury Beach Citizens For Change.

His group raised the money to buy the sand that the ocean mostly washed away.

Saab says climate change is a concern, but he adds that steps like regular dredging could protect the coast, but state regulations get in the way.

He hopes something can be done.

“Georgia, Florida, everybody dredges their beachfront, but Massachusetts won’t let us dredge,” Saab said.

Congressman Moulton said he’s willing to listen to property owners, but he also wants to consult with engineers, about the best way to save the beach.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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