Shore Towns Resist Christie's Sand-Dune Buffers as Storms Gather

Governor Chris Christie’s warning of Hurricane Sandy-like destruction of the New Jersey shore will be tested as the worst storm season in three years approaches and beachfront homeowners delay his building protective dunes along all 127 miles of the state’s coast.

Christie, a second-term Republican, has been battling with property owners in court over his plan to erect sand barriers to keep floodwaters at bay. Without signed easements, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers won’t begin work, leaving whole towns like Margate and Mantoloking vulnerable to tidal surges.