Governor Markell asks for federal funding to repair storm damage

Delaware Governor Jack Markell is asking the federal government for $2.5 million in funding to repair damage at various shore towns.  The damage declaration, if approved, would provide hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair just the Rehoboth boardwalk alone, as well as damaged infrastructure like water pipes.

Although Dewey Beach didn’t have major infrastructure damage, Mayor Diane Hanson says the beaches took a beating, especially the dunes.

The damage declaration would not cover beach erosion.  Restoration such as pumping sand from the ocean back onto the beach is the responsibility of the Army Corps of Engineers, and any approval of funding for restoration would go through them.

In the mean time, DNREC is doing what they can, accelerating the natural process of the ocean dumping sand onto the beach, by bulldozing wet sand and creating a new mound of dunes.

Barring any unforseen setback, officials are expecting the beaches to be ready to go by May.