INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. — Last weekend's unexpected storm system took a toll on the beaches of Pinellas County that had been restored after Hurricane Idalia earlier this year.
Officials in Pinellas County said the storm likely washed away between 40% and 50% of the dunes that were restored.
“Given the way the storm come down from the north and the angle they hit our coast, they really can chew up the beach. This was obviously much bigger than we were expecting," said Pinellas County Public Works Director Kelli Hammer Levy.
The project cost about $26 million, but the mayor of Indian Rocks Beach said protecting the coast is worth the cost.
“You have tourism. You have people that live here on the beach. How much does safety cost? That’s the bottom line," said Mayor Joanne "Cookie" Kennedy.
Officials said spots that need another restoration include Pass-A-Grill, Sunset Beach, Treasure Island, Bellair Beach, and Indian Rocks. Even with more restoration needed, the dunes did their job well during the December storm.
“Obviously, we weren’t hoping we’d have to test it out this quickly, and we allow the vegetation a period of time to get established, which it didn’t happen," said Hammer Levy. "But you know the bottom line is these dunes took the brunt of the storm that otherwise would have hit property. Would have hit structures, and so to that point, yeah, they did their job."
In January, Pinellas County will present its version of the overall beach restoration project that the Army Corp of Engineers had planned but canceled over property disputes.
