BOWERS BEACH, DE- It’s been over a week since a powerful nor’easter battered Bowers Beach, and restoration efforts remain underway to rebuild and strengthen the dunes.
The town’s long-planned beach nourishment project is working to restore sections of shoreline that were hardest hit by the storm.
Mark Stepanik, a longtime neighbor of Bowers Beach, says the recent coastal storm was unlike anything he has seen before.
“It was really scary because there were nonstop waves. And every time we looked out, I got to the point where I just wanted to close the blinds. I didn’t want to look at it anymore.”
Last week’s storm battered Bowers Beach, carving out large chunks of sand and leaving neighbors with little to no beach left to stand on.
Stepanik says much of his backyard disappeared during the storm, and erosion has left behind a deep slope to the beach.
“I’d say four to six feet at least came off of it. What used to be flat is now about a four- or five-foot drop.”
Erosion has long been an ongoing issue in Bowers Beach, but neighbors say the latest storm left the shoreline in its worst shape yet.
Beth Stepanik, who has lived in Bowers Beach for years, says that while erosion is a constant concern, she’s never seen the beach take this much damage.
“The erosion started a couple of months ago. But the storm last week — like I said, I’ve been here forever and seen many things — the bay was very scary last week.”
The beach nourishment work was originally scheduled to begin in early October, but town leaders say they held off because they knew a storm was brewing.
Bob McDevitt, a Bowers Beach Town Council member, says he’s relieved the project is underway, calling it essential for the town’s resilience after the storm.
“Every grain of sand is helping the town and the homeowners here on the beach.”
While many neighbors, like Tameka Schuler of Bowers Beach, say it’s upsetting to see so much of their beach washed away, they’re relieved to see progress.
“To see the actual erosion, it’s a little sad and disheartening. But the guys are out here today, working and getting things back together.”
Mark Stepanik says while he’s grateful for the nourishment work, he worries it’s only a temporary fix and fears what the next storm could bring.
“We know these are only band-aids for what’s going on. I call it a sand aid — you get sand for a while, then six or eight months later, you have to replenish it.”
As calm returns to the bay, town leaders and neighbors say the focus in Bowers Beach is on rebuilding dunes and reinforcing the shoreline for whatever comes next.