Cost half a million

Climate protection wall washed away after just three days

Even protective barriers that have been tried and tested for decades can hardly withstand the force of the storms.

(Bild: APA/AFP/KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI)

The consequences of man-made climate change will also be felt in coastal regions in particular. In the USA, they now wanted to make use of the often-cited technology - and pre-empt the capricious weather with a dam costing 500,000 dollars (approx. 460,000 euros) - but the construction only lasted three days.

It was a desperate attempt to protect their homes on the beach from the force of the sea - 14,000 tons of sand were supposed to shield the buildings in Salisbury, Massachusetts (USA) from the floods. Once completed, however, the barrier only lasted 72 hours, as the local TV station WCVB reported. The dune was completely washed away.

Residents worry about the future
"We've been hit by three storms - two in January and one now - at the highest astronomical tides possible," Rick Rigoli, who oversaw the dune project, told the station. Ron Guilmette, whose tennis court was destroyed in previous storms on the beach, added that he now doesn't know how much his property is worth or if he will stay in the area. He describes the situation at Salisbury Beach as "catastrophic".

The concern is no coincidence: a previous protective dune did not hold during a winter storm in December 2022 - numerous houses were damaged by strong winds and the high tide as a result. "I don't know what the solution is," says Guilmette, visibly resigned.

Consequences of climate change: this is just the beginning
The inhabitants are facing an almost insurmountable hurdle. In addition to the well-known rise in sea levels, which will change the coastline as well as causing flooding, the biggest challenge is the increasing intensity and frequency of storms.

This is due to the warming of the earth's atmosphere, which also leads to a warming of the oceans. This intensifies extreme weather events such as storms and hurricanes, which can lead to further erosion and beach loss.