Flooding and beach erosion is now a major problem on Fire Island
OCEAN BEACH, N.Y. -- Ocean beaches on Long Island took a beating from this week's storm.
CBS New York traveled to Fire Island, where erosion is a big problem.
Officials are calling the flooding some of the worst since Superstorm Sandy.
From the ocean to the bay, many homes and businesses took on water and dunes disappeared as a result of Tuesday night's storm.
It's a boat ride to the barrier island that protects Long Island's mainland -- a summer hot spot which during the offseason is home to only a few hundred residents.
Some of those now-unoccupied homes and businesses took on several inches of water.
"This is the first year since Sandy that I've seen, at least, since I've been. It's basically high tide," said Travis Darienzo, manager of Dockside Restaurant.
High tide that flooded Fire Island and even the ferry terminals in Bay Shore.
On Bay Walk through Ocean Beach, lined with shops and hotels, standing water remains, delaying a drainage project to stop flooding like this.
Narrow residential walkways reveal homes surrounded by water. The church grounds are still flooded.
"We are still assessing, but there was definitely flooding in some homes and businesses," said George Hesse, Ocean Beach's fire and police chief.
CBS New York saw where dunes used to stand, but have since been washed away, undoing some of a massive Army Corp of Engineers sand replenishment project.
Officials said the barrier island actually breached in two places.
"It just gets numb after a while. It just gets old. Here comes another storm," one Atlantique resident said.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine came to assess the situation.
"We need help. We have asked the governor for an emergency order. We are hoping we can qualify for federal aid so we can help communities like Ocean Beach rebuild after devastation," Romaine said.
For property owners who come to assess in person, there was a warning from Ocean Beach Mayor Jim Mallott.
"Please wear boots. Bring water. Bring a sandwich. Don't bring the kids. Don't bring the dogs. We don't know what's in this water. You don't know what's in this water. It's a very, very dangerous situation," Mallott said.
The governor has 30 days to make a state of emergency declaration. There is a $37 million threshold to trigger federal funding. Ocean Beach officials said they think they have that damage here, alone.
