PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Pinellas County is beginning the second phase of a beach re-nourishment project. Pass-A-Grille beach was devastated after Hurricane Idalia, and the county is working to replenish it.
"The beach is the heart of this community. So, without the beach, it's just not the same," said Olivia Durham who works at a shop near the project.
Pass-A-Grille Beach is still recovering from Hurricane Idalia. The storm battered and eroded the sandy shoreline.
"There was definitely a lot more beach front, a lot more space for people to spread out. Its definitely been cut short since then," said Durham.
Pinellas County has been working to re-nourish the beach since June, and just received authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move on to phase two of the project.
"It's always devastating to see a beach after a hurricane like that, and to see it come back to life and come back to what it was is exciting," said Durham.
Pinellas County is using tax-payer money and grants to pay for the remaining portion of the project.
The next phase will include dredging and piping 140,000 cubic yards of sand from 1st Avenue to 22nd Avenue.
"It is a treasure, you know, and like I said the beaches are beautiful and they are really trying to protect the dunes and that ain't cheap," said Tim Medders, a frequent visitor of the beach.
Officials said the dredging will be done 24/7 during this phase of the project, and residents may experience noise and light interruptions.
"It's a little bit of an inconvenience because we actually stay down at lands end, and so we hear it all, the dredges last night," said Medders.
Beachgoers said the project is worth it.
"We are glad, you now. Come next year, the sea grass and everything will grow in and protect the dunes. So yeah, a little bit of an inconvenience now but still beautiful," said Medders.
Business owners said they've seen a slight decrease in customers since the project began and are excited for it to be finished this October.
"When that project is completed, we definitely hope to see so many more customers as the beach will be able to hold more people and bring people out," said Durham.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
