High tides and fierce winds were leaving a trail of destruction in Salisbury, Massachusetts, as locals came out to watch the remnants of another nor’easter, seeking out sand on the ever-shrinking shoreline and instead finding it coating city streets.
“When I was a kid I remember there was sand for miles and now coming back and seeing this, there’s no sand left,” said Salisbury resident, Susan Bennett, “It’s awful.”
Heavy weather has pummeled the shoreline this winter stripping the scenic spot of its sandy beach and instead depositing it in people’s homes and businesses.
Temporary fixes like manmade dunes have been put in place, but finding a permanent solution has proven difficult.
State leaders like Sen. Bruce Tarr are looking to change that, pointing to the need for a beach nourishment plan.
“The permanent solution is to have a regular sand nourishment program to make sure we have enough in the system to ensure we don’t suffer the damage we’ve been seeing,” Tarr said.
Securing funding and creating meaningful action though is challenging, especially with how people across the state perceive this area.
“The truth is a lot of those homes have been owned by families for generations, these aren’t all wealthy people,” the senator added.
Even with those hurdles in place, Tarr says he’s continuing to have conversations with Gov. Maura Healey and his legislative colleagues to find a final solution to this problem.
