SUSSEX COUNTY, DE -- On Friday, WBOC spoke with several Delaware gubernatorial candidates to hear their thoughts on the recent Indian River Inlet dune breach and their ideas for potential long term solutions to prevent future breaches.
Last weekend, the second dune breach this season led to major flooding and road closures on Delaware Route One. Efforts from DNREC and DelDOT to reinforce the dune are still underway. Crews have put rocks and more sand on the dune's weak spots.
Sussex County native and Democratic Delaware Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long says any long term prevention effort should prioritize safety.
"We've got to come up with some dedicated beach replenishment sources of funding outside of our federal colleagues and partners," says Hall-Long. "We're going to have to make sure that what we do does not impact the structural integrity of safe crossing. We're doing HB 168 which will ideally also help with the replenishment, which indirectly impacts the road's security and safety."
Democratic candidate Matt Meyer offers a two part solution.
"One approach is to enhance the dunes," says Meyer. "Really, at the root cause of this is the deterioration of dunes around the roadways. Another approach is to do something to address the roadway itself."
Democratic candidate Collin O'Mara's solution centers around transferring sand between the south and north ends of the inlet.
"The biggest thing we can do is make sure we get more sand on the north side of the inlet," says O'Mara. "Restoring the bypass through moving more sand from the south side of the inlet to the north side of the inlet. If you do those things in partnership with the Army Corp, you'll have a system that will defend the road for years and years to come."
Candidates on the other side of the aisle had their own ideas.
In a statement to WBOC, Republican candidate Mike Ramone says:
"As governor, I will prioritize the safety, beauty, and preservation of our coastal communities. We need proactive leadership in Dover that will provide DelDOT and DNREC with the resources and funding they need for preventative critical infrastructure projects that protect our shorelines."
Republican candidate Jerrold Price suggests building a wall to stop future dune breaches.
"All we've got to do is three foot, concrete barrier," says Price. "You just got to get the right people at the right price. We don't need it more than quarter mile long, probably 300 feet at most. The material is pretty cheap. We're talking center blocks."
WBOC reached out to Republican candidate Bobby Williamson for his input, but did not hear back from him.