These images capture recent erosion damage along the backshore of Cape Cod

Eric Williams, Cape Cod Times
·1 min read

WELLFLEET — The windy storm on Martin Luther King Jr. Day took a bite out of the big Atlantic-facing beaches on Outer Cape Cod. The dunes looked raw and gouged-out in places, and the wrack line was filled with gnarled tree limbs and roots that fell down into the abyss.

It's certainly not a new phenomenon, but it's always a bit unsettling to see how hungry a storm-churned ocean can be.

More: Monday's storm further threatens house on Ballston Beach in Truro

Photos: Erosion on Cape Cod through the years

Now would be an excellent time to walk the beaches of Eastham, Wellfleet and Truro at low tide to see what has washed up (or fallen down) — and to get a sense of the powerful force of erosion that constantly changes the landscape.

Most folks love the summer beach and the gentle days of splashing in the waves. But it's good to see the other face of this wild, beautiful place in the offseason, when the storms come calling.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Photos: Erosion damage patrol along the backshore of Cape Cod