Erin wreaked havoc on beaches up and down the coast. AccuWeather's Ali Reid shares what you need to know if you're heading to the beach for Labor Day weekend.
00:00As families gear up for the final holiday weekend of summer, crews along the Jersey Shore are working to repair, unfortunately, the damage left behind from Hurricane Erin.
00:09The storm battered beaches up and down, leaving the coast, down the coast, leaving dangerous erosion and closing off several popular access points.
00:17Allie Reed, a.k.a. the Jersey Girl.
00:20Yes.
00:20Yes, we've got to call her that, or a Jersey correspondent is live from Strathmore, New Jersey, this morning to explain how officials are preparing ahead of Labor Day.
00:32Hey, Allie.
00:36Good morning, guys.
00:37Well, if you remember back, just over a week ago, we were talking about the tropical stormlight conditions that Hurricane Erin could really bring up and down the coastline.
00:47I was reporting live from North Carolina, but I am from Jersey.
00:52This is where I'm based.
00:54And when I heard about what was happening here and the impact that Hurricane Erin left behind in places like the Jersey coastline, I knew this was a story that I wanted to bring to you guys.
01:05The big topic here this morning, again, live from Strathmore, New Jersey, is things like this.
01:10We were talking about what those impacts could bring, anywhere from strong winds to rough surf and storm surge and things like beach erosion.
01:20And then you get impacts like this.
01:22This is what you're going to see up and down this area, really on the north end of Strathmore.
01:27Really unfortunate situation here.
01:29Not only do you have dunes that have been completely washed away, but then you have walkways like this one directly behind me here that are completely closed off to the public right now.
01:39So quite literally on a weekend where you should see hundreds of people today, tomorrow, into this weekend for Labor Day weekend, there is no one around me here.
01:49That is because this part of the beach is completely closed off.
01:52I want to show you some video back from a number of days ago.
01:56This was back on August 21st, right up and down in this general vicinity.
02:01Now, again, we're talking about those tropical storm-like conditions, the pounding surf, the strong winds, the coastal flooding that really swamped streets right in this area here.
02:10Places like Wildwood, Avalon, Margate, Ocean City, and then, just like we're live in this morning, Strathmere.
02:17Now, miles of shoreline were reshaped in the process because of what you're seeing on your screen now.
02:22Beaches lost large stretches of sand and dunes carved into steep cliffs, in some spots rising anywhere from six to eight feet high.
02:31Now, heavy equipment is actually being used currently to push sand back into place, rebuilding walkways that were washed out and restoring access points that visitors depend on.
02:41Now, local officials here say a dozen access paths were rendered unusable.
02:46And while several have already been reopened, others will remain blocked off through the weekend.
02:52The damage is the latest example of an ongoing problem, that beach erosion that continues to worsen with each major storm.
03:00Shore towns are coordinating with the State Department of Environmental Protection and preparing to meet with federal leaders to push for more consistent replenishment efforts.
03:08Now, what I want to do for you is bring you back live, and I want to show you guys something for just a second.
03:13I'm going to step off camera. So, again, we're talking about that walkway right just here in the distance.
03:18I want to show you just how severe this situation has become across Strathmere.
03:24So, as I move the camera this way, you're going to see another walkway in the distance that has also been completely closed off.
03:30And then this gives you a really good perspective as you look down the beach here as to what this has done, the impacts that Hurricane Aaron has left behind.
03:40And then, of course, to the left here, you see the ocean.
03:43This gives you a good perspective, again, as to where and how close that water is to the beach.
03:49A lot of people talking about leading into Labor Day weekend.
03:52Wow, there is not much beach left here in this area to be able to enjoy the beach in this part of the region.
04:00So, again, those are just some of the things that we're talking about here in Strathmere this morning.
04:04We're going to continue to talk about this as the morning pushes on.
04:08Lots of crews out this morning, guys, trying to get the beach prepared for those Labor Day weekend beach goers right here in Strathmere.
04:16Ali, impressive reporting, as always, so much information.
04:19And, again, she's doing that solo, moving the camera, still talking about it, not missing a beat.
04:23We appreciate that.
04:23I mean, stunning behind you to see what is going on or lack of what's going on right now.
04:28And the hurricane was well offshore.
04:30It just shows you the power.
04:32The surf was the big story there.
04:33Ali Reed, which should be a busy day at the Jersey Shore on the last, let's say, unofficial end of summer.
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