More than meets the eye...

  The awesome tsunamis rising from the Indian Ocean tell us in very certain terms that living along a coastline, though enticingly beautiful and fun, carries a separate risk.

   Curled inland ever so slightly, Cape May has escaped many devastating storms. But as we stare in disbelief at the videos from Sri Lanka and Indonesia, we know that calamity could strike here too. A quake of Richter 9.0 in the Atlantic would drown the Jersey shore and most of the rest of the state south of Trenton.

It is not likely to occur.

   But as you scroll down this page, you will see that the pretty dune picture used for the cover this month tells only half the story. The natural ebb and flow of even the smallest waves can add hardship to someone's life.

   There is give; there is take. There are gains; there are losses. The magnificent dune pictured here has all but smothered the Cove Restaurant with its uniquely pleasant view of the lighthouse. The owners suffer a loss from the shifting, drifting sands... and their customers do too.

Coastal change is constant.  The tiny beaches we remember from the 80s have been replenished in Cape May City... and lost at Cape May Point... only to be rebuilt again this year.  "St. Mary's by the Sea" (the former Shoreham Hotel) has been sitting on the edge of doom for years.  Only the man-made jetties had prevented it's demise.  Until now.

Today, as you read this, even more replenishment is going on, day and night.  The final outcome is projected to preserve and enhance the existing shoreline for many years to come. New drainage and sewer lines are being put in.
   Construction of a bulkhead, a sea wall of sorts, behind the newly made beaches, gives added protection against high tides and strong storms. The engineers are doing well at what they know how to do. And we are grateful for their efforts and the appropriate use of tax money.

  Now in winter, Cape May is actively preparing for the warmer months. Houses and inns are being refurbished. Restaurants change hands and chefs plan new menus. New construction abounds. Within a few months, all of Cape Island will be ready for vacationers again, an infusion of the life-blood of the local economy. Cape May will again fulfill her historic role as a destination where ordinary people can come to escape their sufferings - large and small.
 

  In the end, so much of human life is about suffering and finding ways - and places too - to escape from it. By pledging help for the victims of the Asian tsunamis, we are adding what small bit we can to alleviate their suffering. We know in our hearts that if the earthquake were in the Atlantic, we would be the devastated victims and we would welcome whatever help came our way.

    For now we may be thankful for small changes... and the ability to cope.

- Bernie Haas, CapeMay.com