Ten thousand years ago, a fierce wind struck southern Massachusetts and an old and great white pine collapsed. Down it fell with a splash, sinking into the cold wet muck at the bottom of a pond it bordered.

Erosion on the Island’s coastline — a process as old and familiar as the Island itself — has accelerated to a point of critical concern this winter, battering South Beach, flattening dunes in Katama, flooding key intersections and roadways and crumbling cliffs at Lucy Vincent and Squibnocket.

In a major step for coastal resiliency planning on the Vineyard, a combined total of nearly $400,000 in competitive, state grants were awarded to the three down-Island towns.

The intense winter storm followed by extremely frigid temperatures caused severe tidal erosion and sent Island plumbers scrambling on frozen pipe calls over the weekend.

A plan of action for the eroding East Chop Bluff is taking shape in Oak Bluffs, where the town recently received state funding to get started on a substantial restoration.

Wasque Point, the popular fishing spot at the eastern tip of the Island has been the subject of ongoing study in recent years, as wind, waves and tides create one of the most dynamic coastal systems in the state.