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High Tides Threaten To Wash Plum Island Away

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May 5, 2008 5:08 pm US/Eastern

High Tides Threaten To Wash Plum Island Away

Jim Smith
PLUM ISLAND (WBZ) ― This week, high tide could have a devastating effect on one North Shore neighborhood – Plum Island, where the beach is washing away.

Plum Island Building Commissioner Sam Joslin is spending his time at the seashore these days, but he's not on vacation.

He's keeping a close eye on homes now seriously threatened by the ocean.

The erosion here gets worse each day, and abnormally high tides are expected this week -- tides that could eventually wash homes into the sea. "They're in danger," he said. "And not only the homes, but potentially this neighborhood and a sewer plant as well."

It's easy to see that dunes are even more eroded than they were a few weeks ago. Everyone wants a solution, but nobody can figure out what to do.

In a picture of the beach in 1973, hundreds of feet of sand sit in front of the houses. The locals say when homes were threatened in the 70s, the town used bulldozers to push sand back up, but environmental regulations are much tougher now. "Simplest idea is to bulldoze it back in," said Dan Mahoney, a Plum Island resident.

The town has a huge pile of earth ready to make sand bags if things get really bad this week.

Beachfront resident Donata Reardon says the once soothing sound of the waves is now terrifying. "Seems pretty scary now."

The tug of war between surf and sand is timeless. There's no solution yet, and time -- like the sand -- is running out.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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