Long Island beach erosion: Gilgo, Montauk hit by nor'easter - New York News Beep

LONG BEACH, Long Island (WABC) — One of the biggest concerns after this weekend’s nor’easter on Long Island is beach erosion.

The storm carved massive sand cliffs at Gilgo State Park in Suffolk, which is now closed.

There is also significant erosion from Montauk to Long Beach.

Officials are advising people not to go into the ocean at all because there are no lifeguards and it is extremely dangerous.

George Gorman, the regional director of the NYS Department of Parks, says the storm was not as major as others like Superstorm Sandy, but it still has substantial island-wide impacts.

“Hither Hills State Park suffered significant erosion; if you go outside the parking field, there’s a 6-to-8-foot drop right down into the sand,” Gorman said.

“The way the jetties are designed, the water – how it moves pulls the sand up on shore,” Rich Corbett, former Commissioner of Emergency Management for Nassau County, said.

The Long Beach city manager says the bay side took a bigger hit than the ocean side.

Some roads were impassable by car, so people in the South Shore community used kayaks and paddle boards to navigate flooded streets.

State parks will not reopen until they are deemed safe.

At Gilgo State Park, the Army Corps of Engineers already had a plan to bring sand to the area before the storm.

Utility crews restored power to more than 100,000 customers affected by the storm, but more than 7,000 customers remained without electricity Monday morning as restoration efforts continued.

Stay with the Eyewitness News AccuWeather team for continuing live updates on the nor’easter.RELATED | Visit National Water Prediction Service for water level, flood impact information Follow the Weather or Not podcast with Lee Goldberg