Beach Erosion

The Manatee County Board of County Commissioners has approved the allocation of $6.18 million in Tourist Development Tax (TDT) funding to advance a major beach renourishment and recovery project on Anna Maria Island following significant storm-related erosion caused by Hurricane Idalia in 2023 and Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton in 2024.

Construction easements from 100% of property owners within the beach nourishment project areas are still needed, but with less strict requirements.

A marine biologist is helping residents of St. Pete Beach and Tampa make their shorelines more resilient using nature-based methods.

It's illegal to interfere or drive on beach dunes. One professor says when people violate this rule, the repercussions are far greater than just leaving a footprint.

County commissioners voted to use $125 million in tourist bed taxes to rebuild Sand Key, Treasure Island and Upham Beach. But a lack of easements from some property owners could make the effort a bit disjointed.

Work should soon get started on at least one project to renourish part of Pinellas County's, beaches, which were flattened by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The project needs signatures from about 400 property owners in three communities by the end of the weekend to move forward with the project to replenish beaches.

Pinellas County officials are working with the White House to get emergency approval for beach renourishment projects that have been stymied by new rules from the Army Corps of Engineers.

Governmental officials and activists have been gridlocked for years over whether and how to reopen Midnight Pass, south of Siesta Key.

Pinellas County and tourism officials are "officially" welcoming back visitors to the county's famed beaches. But the restoration of damaged beachside buildings is still ongoing.

Helene brought up to 18 feet of waves at the mouth of Tampa Bay, less than 10 miles from the shoreline. The storm surge also overtopped the Gulf-side seawall by up to 2 feet and bayside seawall by over 4 feet.

The storm surge was so massive that it floated most of the dunes onto nearby homes or on top of Gulf Boulevard. And that could mean big trouble during the next big storm.