Ocean City has declared a local state of emergency after a nor’easter eroded much of the island’s beach earlier this month, according to Mayor Jay Gillian.

The Oct. 12-13 storm swept away dunes and caused serious beach erosion from 1st to 13th streets, officials said.

The emergency designation “could be a tool to help our legislators who are fighting to fund a scheduled Army Corps beach replenishment project,” Gillian said Friday in his weekly community update.

Gillian said city officials discussed the erosion on Thursday with U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd Dist.

“We are continuing to explore every available option,” Gillian said.

Gillian said the city also has awarded a professional services contract “to help us get the permits necessary to do some emergency work before the summer season.”

New Jersey officials have said much of the shoreline from southern Ocean County to Cape May County experienced “moderate to major sloped erosion” during the storm two weeks ago that brought heavy rains and flooding.

The storm damaged a wide swath of beaches, including in North Wildwood, Atlantic City and the Strathmere section of Upper Township.

Van Drew, who represents much of the Jersey Shore, has said he is working to coordinate a sand loss response with the Army Corps of Engineers, the federal agency that leads projects to restore the state’s beaches.

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