was used for distance on Westhampton Beach and Jones Beach. Distance was 
measured to the nearest whole foot and elevations were measured to the 
nearest tenth of a foot. The survey data were recorded in field note- 
books, transferred to optical-scanning sheets, and sent to CERC for pro- 
cessing. 
In addition to the instrument surveys, sand levels were surveyed at 
rows of pipes installed along two profiles at each locality (Urban and 
Galvin, 1969). Position and elevation of the pipes had been determined 
previously by instrument leveling techniques. Local volunteer observers 
recorded the sand level at the pipes on optical-scanner forms. 
Poststorm inspection trips were made to each locality by CERC personnel 
in order to visually assess damage to the beaches and structures. Data 
collected on these visits included visual wave observations, pipe profile 
surveys, photos and sketches, as well as interviews with residents. 
4. Data Processing. 
Processing of the storm data is summarized in the flow chart in Figure 
7. Profile survey data were converted to punched cards, edited, and ma- 
chine plotted; positions of contours and area changes under the profiles 
were computed (see Section V) 
V. BEACH SURVEY RESULTS BY LOCALITIES 
This section presents a detailed discussion of the effects of the 17 
December 1970 storm on each of the seven localities. The discussion for 
each locality is illustrated by a location map, prestorm and poststorm 
profiles, and a table listing changes at each profile line. 
The map of each locality identifies the profile lines where data were 
collected, including the two pipe profile lines observed. All location 
maps are the same scale to aid comparisons between localities. 
The prestorm and poststorm profiles are plotted at a 15:1 vertical 
exaggeration. The horizontal axes of these plots are distances in feet 
measured from an origin which is the intersection of the datum and the 
profile of the initial survey. The positive direction is seaward from 
the origin. The datum is nominally MSL, but in most cases it is actually 
the mean tide level (MTL) obtained by adding half the mean tide range to 
the known mean low water datum. (The actual difference between MSL and 
MTL is negligible for the purpose of this paper.) Dates are given in the 
legend of each plot for the prestorm and poststorm surveys and for the 
initial survey used to establish the origin. Where possible, results 
obtained from the pipe profiles are included. 
The table accompanying each locality lists two classes of data: Hor- 
izontal change in position of the shoreline, and unit volume change at 
the profile line (Fig. 8). The horizontal change in position of the 
20 
