On October 10th, a breach in Hampton Bays formed. This flood crossed the road at the Inlet, wrecking the dunes and changing the infrastructure. What does this mean for the people who love the beach? 

Breaches are channels that form connecting the ocean to the bay. Breaches can occur after extreme erosion, or after major storms like Hurricanes and Nor’easters. One of the major problems that can occur is with the environment in the bay. The salt content is different in the bay then it is in the ocean so any marine life in the bay is at risk of getting sick from the difference in salt content.

According to Dr. Tracey “the breach barrier is part of a natural process that occurs and poses the risk of emergency however allows nature to run its course. This impacts local communities properties as well as salinity measurements in bays and estuaries.” 

WHB student and beach lover Paige Mignone said, “It”s disappointing but it is a natural thing and eventually it is going to be washed away. It’s sad to see it go but it’s nature. They can try to fix it but I feel like it’s only gonna work for so long” 

These breaches are interrupting the lives of many Westhampton Beach residents according to senior Jack Naglieri, “I grew up going to the beaches down there and had a lot of family dinners at Oakland’s.” 

Over the past few weeks the town has decided to dredge sand from another part of the ocean and then move the new sand back to the inlet, closing the breach. This allows for the breach to be closed temporarily while a different solution can be created.