Subscribe to Guide
No Result
View All Result
Hamptons.com
  • Spotlight Magazine
  • Lifestyle
    • Featured
    • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Community
    • Dining
    • Recreation
    • Trending
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Post an Event
    • Gallery
  • Real Estate
    • Real Estate Features
    • Search Real Estate
      • Open Houses
      • Search Sales
      • Search Rentals
    • Title Insurance
    • Happening In The Hamptons Podcast
  • Live Cameras
    • All Live Cameras
    • Live Weather Cams
    • Amagansett, Atlantic Avenue Beach
    • Bridgehampton, West Scott Cameron Beach
    • East Hampton Village, Main Beach
    • East Hampton Village, Main Street
    • East Hampton Village, Newtown Lane
    • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Beach
    • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Bridge
    • Hampton Bays, Shinnecock Fishing Dock
    • Hampton Bays, Tiana Beach
    • Long Island Aquarium | Coral Reef
    • Long Island Aquarium | Penguins
    • Long Island Aquarium | Shark Tank
    • Montauk, Downtown Circle
    • Montauk, Lars Simenson Skatepark
    • Montauk, Gin Beach & Inlet
    • Montauk, Sunset Beach & Inlet
    • Sagaponack, Sagg Main Beach
    • Sag Harbor, Foster Memorial Beach
    • Sag Harbor, Long Wharf Marina
    • Sag Harbor, Main Street (South)
    • Sag Harbor, Windmill Beach & Bay
    • Shelter Island, South Ferry
    • Southampton, 39A to Montauk Hwy Merge
    • Southampton, Conscience Point Marina
    • Southampton Village, Coopers Beach
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (South)
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (North)
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (Hildreths)
    • Westhampton Village, Main Street (East)
    • Westhampton Village, Rogers Beach
  • Public WiFi
    • Public WiFi Map
    • Public Wi-Fi Support
  • Spotlight Magazine
  • Lifestyle
    • Featured
    • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Community
    • Dining
    • Recreation
    • Trending
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Post an Event
    • Gallery
  • Real Estate
    • Real Estate Features
    • Search Real Estate
      • Open Houses
      • Search Sales
      • Search Rentals
    • Title Insurance
    • Happening In The Hamptons Podcast
  • Live Cameras
    • All Live Cameras
    • Live Weather Cams
    • Amagansett, Atlantic Avenue Beach
    • Bridgehampton, West Scott Cameron Beach
    • East Hampton Village, Main Beach
    • East Hampton Village, Main Street
    • East Hampton Village, Newtown Lane
    • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Beach
    • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Bridge
    • Hampton Bays, Shinnecock Fishing Dock
    • Hampton Bays, Tiana Beach
    • Long Island Aquarium | Coral Reef
    • Long Island Aquarium | Penguins
    • Long Island Aquarium | Shark Tank
    • Montauk, Downtown Circle
    • Montauk, Lars Simenson Skatepark
    • Montauk, Gin Beach & Inlet
    • Montauk, Sunset Beach & Inlet
    • Sagaponack, Sagg Main Beach
    • Sag Harbor, Foster Memorial Beach
    • Sag Harbor, Long Wharf Marina
    • Sag Harbor, Main Street (South)
    • Sag Harbor, Windmill Beach & Bay
    • Shelter Island, South Ferry
    • Southampton, 39A to Montauk Hwy Merge
    • Southampton, Conscience Point Marina
    • Southampton Village, Coopers Beach
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (South)
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (North)
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (Hildreths)
    • Westhampton Village, Main Street (East)
    • Westhampton Village, Rogers Beach
  • Public WiFi
    • Public WiFi Map
    • Public Wi-Fi Support
No Result
View All Result
Hamptons.com
February 9, 2024

30 Years of Observing Beach Erosion in The Hamptons

David Lion Rattinerby David Lion Rattiner
in Community, Trending
Home Community
Ditch Plain in Montauk

I’m 41 years old. Thirty years ago, I can remember being 11 years old and having my first moment of fear when it comes to the state of the planet. I was at a science fair, and one of the older students had a whole presentation on acid rain and the ozone layer. I remember it concerning me. I didn’t want to get melted by acid rain or melted by the sun. I have a memory of being in 8th grade watching Bill Nye the Science Guy, who did a whole episode on global warming, why it was ruining the planet, and how in less than 20 years, the world was going to run out of oil and that new forms of energy would have to be developed. I remember thinking that I’d probably be heating my house with a fireplace when I got older and worried about all the trees that would be burned.

 

When I was 14, I got a job as a beach boy in East Hampton, and there was a terrible hurricane back then, I think it was either Andrew or Bonnie. It was a huge deal in my mind at the time, mainly because Georgica Beach, part of the Village Beaches in East Hampton and right up the road where I worked, just disappeared. Like it was totally gone. There was a parking lot, then it dipped down like a cliff, and then it was ocean. The water at high tide was flowing all the way up the beach, and I remember all the lifeguards closing the beach and removing the lifeguard stand because they didn’t want the lifeguard stand to wash away.

 

In the ’90s, I believe I was in 8th grade at Springs School, and we took a field trip to the Montauk Lighthouse, a big part of the field trip revolved around how it was just a matter of time before the Montauk Lighthouse fell into the ocean. We learned about the boulders that were placed to protect it, all in vain, and that the Lighthouse was going to wash away unless something was done about global warming.

 

Ten years ago or so, maybe it was more, I remember a kid I graduated high school with, James Katsipis, who is now a photographer and was also at the time, getting arrested on the beach because he was protesting along with a group of other people how the Army Corps of Engineers was handling the bad erosion in Montauk. I have many memories of living in Montauk in my 20s, back when Gurney’s was owned by the Monte family, where the erosion was terrifying. The ocean was like right up on the beach, washing away beach chairs and creeping all the way up to the structures. The same is true for Ditch Plains.

 

Recently, like it usually does, Ditch Plains and parts of Montauk suffered bad erosion, and the Army Corps of Engineers started dredging sand onto the coast…like they have for decades and decades. The dredging will shore up the coastline and the waves will chip away at it until the end of time.

 

I’ve seen a lot of panicked people on social media completely freaking out about beach erosion in Montauk. I want to be clear: I’m concerned about it, and I think we should all care deeply about our environment. Now that I’m 41, I try to put it in perspective. Beach erosion is always going to be a thing. Forever.

 

I want to end it with this. All across the world, including the middle of the ocean, are thousands of man-made islands, many of them (especially in China) supporting full-on military bases with airports. All created with dredging.

 

Dredging the ocean in Montauk is not done in vain, and I’ll see you on the beach this summer.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter!

Get the top Hamptons events and latest scoop!

What's Happening in the Hamptons

Related Posts

Emma Roberts, Remi Bader, and More Attend NYLON’s Residency at The Surf Lodge
Entertainment

Emma Roberts, Remi Bader, and More Attend NYLON’s Residency at The Surf Lodge

July 4, 2025
Linjie Deng Talks “Still Warm” Exhibition, Art Evolution, and The Hamptons Fine Art Fair
Arts

Linjie Deng Talks “Still Warm” Exhibition, Art Evolution, and The Hamptons Fine Art Fair

July 4, 2025
15th Annual Family Fair to Benefit CMEE — SWEET ESCAPE
Community

15th Annual Family Fair to Benefit CMEE — SWEET ESCAPE

July 4, 2025

Search Articles

No Result
View All Result

LOCAL EVENTS

Events

06
Jul
06
Jul
-
06
Jul

HAMPTON VINTAGE – A Luxury Marketplace

July 6 @ 10:00 AM - July 6 @ 05:00 PM
Second House Museum, 626 Montauk Highway, Montauk, NY (Opposite Hero Beach Club)
06
Jul
06
Jul
-
06
Jul

Afternoon Tea

July 6 @ 01:30 PM - July 6 @ 04:00 PM
The Baker House 1650
06
Jul
06
Jul
-
06
Jul

Afternoon Tea

July 6 @ 01:30 PM - July 6 @ 04:00 PM
The Baker House 1650
06
Jul
06
Jul
-
06
Jul

BRUCE NAUMAN in conversation with ERIC FISCHL

July 6 @ 04:00 PM - July 6 @ 05:30 PM
The Church, 48 Madison St., Sag Harbor, NY, 11963
06
Jul
06
Jul
-
06
Jul

Backyard BBQ

July 6 @ 05:30 PM - July 6 @ 07:30 PM
Chabad of the Hamptons 13 Woods Ln
Load more listings
Next Post
Sixty-Something: Enjoying August On The East End

Sixty-Something: Never Alone, Always at Home in The Hamptons

    Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube
    Hamptons.com

    Saunders Broadcasting Corp.

    Phone: 631-613-8440
    Email: [email protected]
    Facebook: Facebook.com/HamptonsOnline
    Twitter: @Hamptons
    Instagram: @HamptonsOnline

    About Us | Contact Us

    Hamptons.com

    • Lifestyle
    • Events
    • Real Estate
    • Live Cameras
    • Public WiFi

    Subscribe

    Sign up for our weekly newsletter!

    Get the top Hamptons events and latest scoop!

    © 2025 Hamptons.com | All rights reserved
    Saunders Broadcasting Corp.
    Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | About Us | Contact Us

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Spotlight Magazine
    • Lifestyle
      • Featured
      • Entertainment
      • Arts
      • Community
      • Dining
      • Recreation
      • Trending
    • Events
      • Events Calendar
      • Post an Event
      • Gallery
    • Real Estate
      • Real Estate Features
      • Search Real Estate
        • Open Houses
        • Search Sales
        • Search Rentals
      • Title Insurance
      • Happening In The Hamptons Podcast
    • Live Cameras
      • All Live Cameras
      • Live Weather Cams
      • Amagansett, Atlantic Avenue Beach
      • Bridgehampton, West Scott Cameron Beach
      • East Hampton Village, Main Beach
      • East Hampton Village, Main Street
      • East Hampton Village, Newtown Lane
      • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Beach
      • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Bridge
      • Hampton Bays, Shinnecock Fishing Dock
      • Hampton Bays, Tiana Beach
      • Long Island Aquarium | Coral Reef
      • Long Island Aquarium | Penguins
      • Long Island Aquarium | Shark Tank
      • Montauk, Downtown Circle
      • Montauk, Lars Simenson Skatepark
      • Montauk, Gin Beach & Inlet
      • Montauk, Sunset Beach & Inlet
      • Sagaponack, Sagg Main Beach
      • Sag Harbor, Foster Memorial Beach
      • Sag Harbor, Long Wharf Marina
      • Sag Harbor, Main Street (South)
      • Sag Harbor, Windmill Beach & Bay
      • Shelter Island, South Ferry
      • Southampton, 39A to Montauk Hwy Merge
      • Southampton, Conscience Point Marina
      • Southampton Village, Coopers Beach
      • Southampton Village, Main Street (South)
      • Southampton Village, Main Street (North)
      • Southampton Village, Main Street (Hildreths)
      • Westhampton Village, Main Street (East)
      • Westhampton Village, Rogers Beach
    • Public WiFi
      • Public WiFi Map
      • Public Wi-Fi Support

    © 2025 Hamptons.com | All rights reserved
    Saunders Broadcasting Corp.
    Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | About Us | Contact Us