Sandwich beach house splits in half after recent storms, high winds

SANDWICH, Mass. — A Sandwich house has been split in half following several severe storms over the past few months. The Salt Marsh Road property remained toppled onto the beach on Saturday and, according to a neighbor, would be demolished on Monday morning.

“We were sitting watching TV and there was a big rumble, and I said, ‘Uh oh, sounds like the grill is blowing across the deck.’ And the next morning we got up and the house had toppled,” explained neighbor Michael Pottey. “When my wife, when she woke up the next morning and actually saw the house laying on its side – and it really hit home that it’s going to be gone – there were tears in her eyes.”

According to Pottey, his father-in-law built the home in 1974. He and his wife lived there for about five years before moving next door.

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“This is my life, this is a way of life for me,” he said. “I’ve been here for summers every year of my life for the last 25 years.”

Pottey told Boston 25 News that 40 mph winds on Wednesday ultimately caused the house to topple over onto the beach. He said that previous storms had caused waves to upend the concrete foundation.

Boston 25 News spoke with the current homeowner over the phone Saturday night, who said he does plan to rebuild the home with stilts instead of concrete. He added that he is thankful for the 20 years he had in the beautiful seaside property.

Neighbors on Salt Marsh Road have not been strangers to beach erosion.

Boston 25 News was there a few doors down on February 3 when a house toppled off of a small sand dune cliff after a storm hit the area.

“The beach gets lower and lower and recedes further and further every year. Someday it will be gone,” Pottey said. “I’m not thinking it will be in my lifetime but maybe it will.”

Cox Media Group