Ocean Shores faces rising erosion threat from WA storms

Ocean Shores battles erosion crisis as WA shoreline vanishes

Ocean Shores, a beloved coastal community in Washington, is in a race against nature as erosion from the ocean threatens to destroy homes and infrastructure.

OCEAN SHORES, Wash. - Ocean Shores, a beloved coastal community in Washington, is in a race against nature as erosion from the ocean threatens to destroy homes and infrastructure.

After years of "storm after storm," residents like Marshall Read, a city leader, are bracing for what could be a disastrous winter.

"We held our breath. Storm after storm after storm," said Read, describing the city's ongoing struggle to protect its eroding shoreline. He warns that the area is significantly behind in preparations, saying, "We are 15–20 years behind what has occurred out at Washaway Beach," a nearby community that was consumed by erosion.

Erosion along Ocean Shores has claimed between 30 and 40 yards of shoreline this past winter.

The city’s proximity to the ocean, once its biggest draw, is now its greatest threat.

Erosion along Ocean Shores has claimed between 30 and 40 yards of shoreline this past winter alone. In a desperate effort to protect homes and the city's vital water supply, crews built a "sacrificial berm" made from sand, hoping it would hold back the rising tide.

With assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ocean Shores placed massive one-ton "super sacks" along the coast, but even these protective measures have been tested by relentless waves. As Marshall explained while standing on the beach, "If we were standing here, we would be underwater."

Erosion is a natural process, but human intervention may have exacerbated the problem. The construction of the North Jetty by the Army Corps decades ago, designed to protect vessels entering Grays Harbor, has disrupted the natural sediment flow along the coastline. While the Corps now dredges the channel to prevent ships from running aground, they are not addressing the larger problem of eroding beaches.

Marshall believes a solution could lie in restoring an old jetty built more than a century ago, but the cost could reach $60 million — a significant investment that would come with bureaucratic challenges.

"This winter, we're either going to succeed or we're going to fail big," Read said, as the community braces for the next storm season.

Residents and city leaders hope that the efforts they've put in place will hold, but the future of Ocean Shores remains uncertain.

As the community prepares for another winter, the question on everyone’s mind is whether Ocean Shores can weather the next big storm or if it will join Washaway Beach as a town lost to the sea.

Featured