Tidal Surge Uncovers Cars Buried in Water Mill Dunes

Erosion on the Water Mill shore the past few days has turned up a number of old rusted and twisted cars, which — while still intact — had been placed there to build up the dunes decades ago.

"They started to show on Saturday afternoon, and by Monday morning they were full-blown exposed," said Southampton Town Trustee Fred Havemeyer.

The vehicles turned up about 10 properties west of the Mecox Bay cut, near the Water Mill Beach Club, which had been devastated by Superstorm Sandy, he said.

A nor'easter moving through the area over three days, plus the perigean tide — the spring tide when the moon is closest to earth — contributed to the erosion, Havemeyer said.

The cars must have been placed prior to 1984, he said, though he was not sure if it was a few years prior or a couple decades.

The Trustees' Facebook page stated Monday, "Before people began using snow fences and Christmas trees to protect beaches, towns used to use old cars as a form of erosion control."