Effects of Hurricane Sandy on Sea Glass Beaches

by Ginger B. Collins
(North Carolina)

Do hurricanes affect sea glass?

Do hurricanes affect sea glass?

Southport, North Carolina after Hurricane Sandy for sea glass

~ question submitted by Ginger B. Collins, in North Carolina

Will the recent hurricane make sea glass easier or harder to find?

We've had a trip to Southport, NC, scheduled for a month.

I had read on your site that Southport beaches generate more than average amounts of glass.

We leave next week. What are the chances we'll find some specimens?

by Ginger B. Collins


Hi Ginger,

It's really hard to say whether there will be more sea glass to be found after the severe storm on the East Coast.

On one hand, normal steady winds drift the sand over objects lying on a sandy beach over a period of time.

Then when a storm comes, the higher tides (storm surge), waves, and currents can uncover those buried objects.

Also, things that were lying on the ocean floor a ways from the beach could be carried up onto the beach.

On the other hand, stronger currents can cause more erosion, bringing sand from inland dunes down onto the beach and actually burying the beach under more sand.

It is also possible to find opposite conditions on different stretches of the beach - in some places the beach becoming more exposed, in other stretches the beach becoming more buried.

The only way to find out is to go walk the beaches. We hope you do!

Then let us know what you find.

David and Lin at Odyssey



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Comments for Effects of Hurricane Sandy on Sea Glass Beaches

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Oct 17, 2015
 Previous comments
by: >>>

Jan 04, 2013
East coast beaches after Sandy
by: Ginger B. Collins

In mid-November we looked for glass on the following North Carolina beaches:
  • Holden Beach
  • Oak Island
  • Southport
  • Topsail
  • Southport was the only place we found glass.

There were a couple pieces of light blue, probably Ball jars.

There was a nice piece of old pottery, a one inch, green-trimmed wedge off the edge of a plate.

There were a few green and brown glass bottle necks, but I think they were just beer bottles tossed over from the local bars.   


Dec 22, 2012
Changes after storm?
by: Anonymous

Has anyone had a chance to hunt the beaches that were affected by the recent storms on the East Coast?

Did you find that there was more sea glass or less than before?

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