A small craft advisory was in effect until 6:00am today, Monday, and a high surf advisory until further notice. Long-period northeasterly swells were gradually subsiding, but beach-goers experienced fairly rough conditions in various locations over the weekend.
One of these was, once again, at Maho. Large waves flooded the road lane closest to Beacon Hill, making it practically impassable at times.
Heavy equipment will no doubt be brought in and used to clear the sand, but the recurring incident brings up a bigger issue: St. Maarten’s resilience to climate change.
There can be little doubt by now that sea levels are rising. Beacon Hill is particularly vulnerable as it’s only accessible via the road between Maho Beach and the fence of Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA).
The latter is a major concern too, because if the runway is underwater planes obviously cannot land or take off. Solutions must be sought before this actually becomes a problem, because the entire island’s livelihood very much depends on such.
Funeral insurance provider Rudy Engel, who stood candidate in various parliamentary elections over the years, lives in Beacon Hill. In the past he suggested constructing a breakwater in that area also to facilitate its further development as a major tourist attraction.
Many expressed reservations, keeping in mind how this would alter the prevailing currents and this popular beach especially to watch aircraft. After all, it is already left practically without sand during periods in the hurricane season.
However, this effect of global warming increasingly seems an unescapable reality in the near future, with measures being discussed and taken to mitigate its impact. Whether building a seawall or finding some way to raise the runway, long-term something probably will have to give.
