Monday's early morning storm damaged Plymouth Long Beach and Bert's Landing Restaurant and closed the outlet of the Eel River.

The strong winds and high tide at 3 a.m., Dec. 27, blew holes in the dunes of the outer beach visible from the harbor. The dunes had steadily acreted sand since damage done by the "Perfect Storm" of 1990.

The same forces pounded cobble from Warren Cove onto the dirt beach parking lot and the paved parking lot of Bert's Landing. The assault broke a large hole in the cement seawall by the restaurant and broke new holes in the pavement. Rocks and sand covered the remaining pavement.

The wind blew a door and two protective shutters off the building, allowing surf to enter the downstairs bar and main dining room. Rocks and sand covered the floor. Although frequently hit by winter storms, the structure had not sustained damage this serious since the Blizzard of 1978. A crew from Service Master boarded the openings while the shift supervisor of the Plymouth Fire Department inspected the building midday Monday.

Cobble from the cove filled a large portion of the Eel River from 100 yards north of the guard shack nearly to the Eel River Beach Club. The blockage cause the river to swell upstream, nearly covering the River Street Bridge.