Costly repairs will be needed once again at some beaches in Ocean County after this weekend's king tides and wind carved more sections of dune away.

The Bay Head Improvement Association spent all day Tuesday spreading out entrance ramps to remove the cliffs.

“When they did this project, they put in a 250-foot beach,” says Michael Fierro, of Island Heights. “Within a year, we had a 30-foot beach. So, you keep protecting the dunes, but they need to find a better way to do it.

Conditions look much worse 6 miles south in Ortley Beach, as just one entrance is open. The others are all closed. 

Fierro is a critic of the wash, rinse, repeat style of beach protection. Ortley Beach was hit hard during the early February three-day storm. Toms River Township budgeted close to $500,000 to make its own repairs in time for summer as they wait for federal help. 

Last week, the town just finished spreading new sand on the reduced beaches. Hours later, Mayor Mo Hill says 75% of the work was gone and about $150,000 worth of sand lost. The process will now restart, leaving some residents wondering if it is even worth it. 

“Pretty sad,” says Fierro. “This is literally the place you can come and watch your tax dollars get thrown away. They're just throwing good money after bad. They need to stop, quite honestly, they need to stop.”

Toms River expects repairs to be made and all entrances open by June 20.

FEMA declared the winter storm a disaster in Ocean County, allowing for federal aid and compensation for the towns making their own repairs.

The mayors of Bay Head and Toms River are asking the feds to prioritize the areas when replenishment returns again during the next phase.