MANASOTA KEY, Fla. — It has been about two months since Hurricanes Helene and Milton impacted Southwest Florida. On Tuesday, we got a closer look at the damage to the beach and dune systems in Charlotte County.
“The damage on Manasota Key is extensive,” says Michael Poff with Coastal Engineering Consultants, Inc.
The barrier island of Manasota Key saw nearly six feet of surge from Hurricane Milton, covering many of the roads with sand. It was so much sand that when piled up post-storm, it was several stories high.
Watch to see what it will take to restore the beaches:
“We have had to remove a tremendous amount of sand,” said John Elias, Charlotte County Public Works Director. “So, we have been out there every day moving sand, sifting that sand, and we now actually put the sand back on the beach.”
But returning that sand is not enough the restore beaches. Between Debby, Helene, and Milton, the county lost nearly 250,000 yards of sand from erosion on the beaches.
In order to restore the beaches and protective dune systems, Charlotte County Board of Commissioners is pursuing dredging offshore and pumping in sand, similar to what we are seeing right now on Fort Myers Beach. But, this doesn’t come cheap.
The current scope of the project will cost about $34 million and getting the funding for this project might require a special session in Tallahassee.
“That is what they did after Ian and Nicole,” said Poff. “They actually had a special session in December and approved half the money to get everyone started. They approved the second half in regular session in March. If something like that would be happen, it would be ideal.”
That's because completing these beach projects is up against two deadlines: turtle nesting season and next hurricane season. Although, the county will be applying for extension to work into nesting season.
One of the specific projects of interest on the island is Little Milton Pass located at Stump Pass Beach State Park. But, the pass that opened from Milton’s storm surge isn’t so little at the moment with it currently being 10-feet deep.
The state of Florida has already committed to pay the nearly $1 million price tag to close the pass, despite it being the original location of Stump Pass in the late 1800s.
“If these relic passes still have exchange with the bay, it will reduce flow through Stump pass, reduce the hydrological efficiency,” said Poff. “You will have infilling. You will reduce depths for navigation. And the spit will start to regrow off Stump Pass and the down drift beach will start to erode."
Charlotte County says they hope to have the bids complete for these projects by February with construction complete by July.
