Those who live along the water in Newburyport, Massachusetts, are used to two things, stunning views, and the chance for severe storm surge whenever there is a powerful storm.
"It breached two years ago, and it breached again this year, real bad, went all the way up my street," longtime resident George Bossi said Wednesday.
As a storm made its way to the area, crews filled hundreds of 700-pound bags of sand, then placed them on the beach hoping to create a barrier.
The plan: to put 300 to 350 of the heavy sack bags along the beach as a temporary solution.
Crews were working fast, trying to stay ahead of changing tides and fast-approaching storm.
"Desperate, desperate, it is desperate because even two weeks ago, with the hurricane much further south we had two high tide cycles that overtopped," Newburyport Mayor Donna Holaday said.
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The hope is that the sandbags will last until a more permanent solution can be built.
"It is new, it is a new approach, but we are hoping they will last until the Merrimack River is dredged," the mayor said.
For those who live around here, anything that can keep the past from repeating itself is worth a try.
"Call it climate change, I don't know what you can call it," Bossi said. "I think it is going to help, How long? I can't tell you."
