Spring Lake Beach, known as the “Jewel of the Jersey Shore”, is currently open for business. Hurricane Sandy took a devastating toll on this particular beach, along with a majority of other New Jersey coastal areas—but that hasn’t stopped boardwalks from reopening. 

The Borough of Spring Lake is a picturesque vacation destination and a premier summer resort located near the Atlantic Ocean. Here, visitors will find excellent swimming, fishing, and boating conditions. Unfortunately, when Hurricane Sandy attacked, Spring Lake was not spared. 

When the violent hurricane moved along the Jersey coastline at high speed, the two-mile stretch of boardwalk was completely destroyed. Thanks to the assistance of construction management, Spring Lake is one out of many New Jersey boardwalks that has been rebuilt and ready for business. 

Belmar, New Jersey, was another boardwalk obliterated due to the wrath of Hurricane Sandy. With proper construction management, all 1.3 miles of boardwalk in Belmar were rebuilt seven months later. The Belmar boardwalk is now made of synthetic wood pilings, which cost roughly $8 million. Mayor Matt Doherty promised New Jersey that the boardwalk would be built in time for Memorial Day—which is a promise that he delivered. 

Governor Chris Christie is taking every effort and measure to ensure that New Jersey’s boardwalks will be ready and open to the public. Currently, boardwalks are opening throughout the state, and Gov. Chris Christie wants to be at each one of them as they reopen. 

New Jersey’s boardwalks aren’t a simple source of vacation entertainment and fond memories; they additionally bring in a lot of money for local businesses and help to cover a lot of taxes.

Having the New Jersey boardwalks operating once again also helps to generate jobs. By keeping the boardwalks open, people are getting back to work just in time for the summer.

Hurricane Sandy had devastating effects on the East Coast. It was the second costliest hurricane in United States history. The hurricane started off as a tropical wave in the Caribbean, but turned into a tropical storm six hours later. 

Because of this massive storm, 125 people died in the United States alone. 

New Jersey and New York were severely impacted by the hurricane. It flooded streets, tunnels, and subway lines in the city. Overall, it cost the United States roughly 65 billion dollars in damage.   

One major cause of damage and contamination came from stormwater. Because of Hurricane Sandy, billions of gallons of raw and partially treated sewage went into New York and New Jersey waterways.

Shortly after the storm, New York’s waterways were flooded with raw sewage, industrial chemicals and debris. These are dangerous toxins that could jeopardize the health of the community.

In cases like these, stormwater management is absolutely necessary. The state of New Jersey is famous for its beaches; without proper stormwater management, an ocean can suffer from contamination.

Stormwater is the result of precipitation events, such as rain. It is a major cause of water pollution. Oil from automobiles, brake pad fibers, animal waste, pesticides, herbicides, and trash are carried in stormwater. Fertilizers and chemicals from gardens and homes are in stormwater as well. 

As a result of Hurricane Sandy, New York and New Jersey are taking important steps to rebuild. By utilizing green infrastructure, water quality can be improved for the better.  

Currently, both New York and New Jersey are recovering from the traumatic effects of Hurricane Sandy. The United States Environmental Protection Agency is providing $340 million to New York and $229 million to New Jersey to improve both wastewater and drinking water treatment facilities that were impacted by the storm.