Bill Barlow

Beaches took a hit from the high tides brought by the passing Hurricane Erin but held up to the storm, a preliminary investigation by the state Department of Environmental Protection found.

DEP spokesman Larry Hajna outlined the findings this week, saying that notable erosion occurred, mostly in the southern three-quarters of the coast and in areas most prone to erosion.

“Beaches overall withstood the impacts of Erin and performed their function in protecting property,” Hajna wrote in an email.

He cited specific areas in Atlantic City and Ocean City, along with oceanfront erosion throughout Cape May County.

Officials in some shore communities have expressed concerns over the loss of beaches and damage to dunes, especially in August, an early part of the hurricane season, w

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