How (And Why) to Build a Dune
In one Jersey Shore community, the sand stood up to Sandy.
South Seaside Park, New JerseyWhen Superstorm Sandy hit the Jersey Shore in October 2012, the ocean surged onto land on the strength of winds blowing at up to 89 miles (143 kilometers) per hour. Some towns had no barriers between the ocean and their homes, businesses, and boardwalks. But those that did—those that had dunes—well, just look at Midway Beach.
(Related article: "After Sandy: The Future of Boardwalks.")
At first glance, it doesn't seem like the kind of town that could have survived such a powerful storm. It's a quarter-mile-long community within South Seaside Park, New Jersey, made up almost entirely of post-World War II, one-story bungalows. To its north, Sandy knocked a roller coaster into the ocean. To its south, ocean water crossed over
