MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Last month, Onslow Beach and its facilities took a devastating hit from Hurricane Florence which knocked out power, eroded dunes, and destroyed or degraded many of the amenities enjoyed by authorized patrons and their families. These included the cabanas, guest houses, walkways and the Marine Mart. In addition, the hurricane uncovered a large amount of hazardous debris through erosion and caused dangerous debris to blow onto the beach or wash up onshore, making it unsafe to walk on, especially without shoes. While the visible debris is easy to spot and mitigate, there is potentially just as much debris hidden below the sand and in the wave break zone that poses a hazard to runners, walkers, and anyone engaged in ocean-based activities.
For these reasons, Onslow Beach continues to remain closed for visitors so cleanup and repairs can be conducted quickly and the beach rendered safe for visitors. Because of the current condition of the guest houses, MCCS is reporting it will be unable to take rental reservations for the rest of 2018. While it will likely be months before some hard structures are repaired and operational, leadership is making the reopening of Onslow Beach for recreational use a priority. Portions of the beach will be opened as soon as it is safe and feasible to do so.
Even base leaders are eager to reopen the beach, with the acting base commander Col. Scott Baldwin commenting, "Onslow Beach is very important to the quality of life here at Camp Lejeune. No one appreciates that more than I do. My family and I have enjoyed this beach over four separate tours here and I am just as anxious as everyone else to get it open."
Until then, patrons are advised not to drive there, or pull up and anchor a boat there unless on official business. Your patience is appreciated as Camp Lejeune continues its efforts to restore Onslow Beach so it can once again be used both recreationally and tactically for our warriors training to deploy into harm's way. When any portion of the beach is reopened for visitors, we will post it across all media platforms. Stay tuned.
Recent pictures of the damage can be found here: https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4849376.