$500,000 Sand Dune to Protect Vacation Homes Washes Away in Three Days

Oh. Ah. And yet.

Swept Up

In a desperate attempt to keep away the ocean tides, residents of an affluent vacation community in Massachusetts spent half a million dollars on a sand dune to protect their lavish coastal homes.

Unfortunately for them, the Atlantic wasn't impressed, sweeping away the 14,000 tons of sand in a matter of just three days, according to local ABC-affiliated news station WCVB.

Local resident Ron Guilmette called the situation at the nearby Salisbury Beach, about an hour north of Boston, "catastrophic."

"I don’t know what the solution is," he told WCVB.

The incident highlights the very real risks of climate change, which has been shown to not only lead to rising sea levels, but more frequent and more ferocious storms as well.

Washed Out

The area had already been battered by several fierce storms, including two in January alone. At the time, Boston recorded some of the highest tides ever recorded in the city's history.

Meanwhile, coastal homes have become a ticking time bomb in light of rising temperatures and sea levels. While the wealthy have the resources to move away, others with fewer resources aren't as lucky.

According to the United Nations Development Program, tens of millions of people who live near the coast are exposed to an increased flood risk due to the impact of climate change across the globe. By 2100, 73 million people could live in floodplains that have a one-in-20 chance of flooding.

And coastal counties in the US are just as vulnerable, with up to $106 billion worth of coastal property likely being wiped out by rising tides by 2050, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, if current climate trends continue.

In response, communities are constructing barriers, elevating buildings, and restoring coastal habitats with the goal of protecting coasts from climate change.

But unfortunately for the inhabitants of Salisbury, 14,000 tons of sand are no match for our rapidly changing climate.

More on climate change: Scientist Terrified by How the Climate Is Falling Apart