Pinellas Beaches

Work on Sunset Beach is near completion. Eight other beaches are "fully open and ready for residents and visitors to enjoy this holiday season," according to the county.

It's the latest effort to restore the shoreline that was damaged after last year's hurricanes.

More than 100 beachfront property owners haven't agreed to temporary easements, which could mean storms could impact their property.

Help from the state would be beneficial, considering the county typically spends only around $10 million on similar projects.

A lot of opposition remains for emergency plans to renourish parts of Pinellas County's storm-flattened beaches. County commissioners are running into roadblocks from some beachfront property owners.

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.

Pinellas County collected a record $8.3 million in bed taxes in January.

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.

Many Pinellas County business owners and workers say they are ready to welcome snowbirds and vacation-seeking visitors. Changes in tourism trends in the state’s coastal playgrounds will be revealed in the coming months and years, especially during peak tourism season.

Pinellas County's beaches were flattened by the triple whammies of Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton last year. Now, a new ordinance may give what's left of its dunes a fighting chance.

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.