Professor Short told the Brisbane Times that the damage done to the coastline could take “several months to a year” to repair.
While this repair time is predicted based on pristine conditions, it is likely the NSW coastline will cop more damage as La Niña weather continues.
“This is what we can anticipate in the coming decades as sea levels rise permanently,” Professor Short said.
The massive surge engulfed the shoreline on a number of NSW beaches on Saturday washing up debris and water vessels.
The swell reached up to 7.3 metres with high tides of two metres across northern beaches.
Northern beaches mayor Michael Regan said the damage is expected to cost millions to repair.
“We are yet to determine the clean-up bill, but expect it to be several million,” he said.
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