NANTUCKET, MASS. (WHDH) - Some Nantucket residents made their way to the beach and watched in amazement as Tropical Storm Jose brought large, wind-driven surf to the coast line on Wednesday.
Those who watched waves batter the island described the surf as scary. Few surfers took on the turbulent water. Waves of 10 feet or more could be seen crashing onto the beach throughout the day.
Fierce wind gusts created rough seas, leaving some mesmerized by mother nature’s fury.
“To watch the fury of the ocean is just terrific,” Jim Meehan told 7News.
The dramatic display doubled as a coastal assault. The storm has since started to cause severe beach erosion, threatening some homes in the area.
Waves have already uprooted rocks and chunks of earth along the beach. It’s expected to worsen when high tide arrives early Thursday morning.
“The erosion – a couple of houses have been lost out here,” said one resident. “It’s more like a Nor’easter with the wind today and it happens quite often. It gets a lot worse than this at times.”
As the storm progresses, some along the island’s coast are fearful that they may lose their home.
Sand bags have been prepared and crews cleared the downtown area of any items that could become airborne. The Nantucket Department of Public Works set up barricades for roads and intersections that could flood. Extra National Grid crews were also brought to the island in anticipation of power outages.
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