VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A nor’easter brought waves between 6 and 9 feet tall to Volusia County this week, adding insult to injury for the county’s fragile beach dunes.
Rough conditions were expected Tuesday along the Central Florida coast as a system brings strong winds and high tides.
Storm surge on Monday caused more damage to the shoreline that was hit hard by hurricanes Ian and Nicole. And the weather system remains a threat Tuesday to the shoreline.
County officials said they hope to get a full damage and erosion assessment by Friday, but on Tuesday, they said they have already seen the loss of a few feet.
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“We suffered at least 2 feet of erosion in the Daytona Beach Shores area...” said Coast Director Jessica Fentress. “We haven’t been able to get out on the beach and do a comprehensive assessment. The low tide — the water — was still reaching the walls in a lot of places.”
Temporary dams along the shore in Volusia County were put in place to help with beach erosion, but they are failing.
Officials said the rough weather has led to breaks in the dam system, which crews have been working to replace. The unusually high tide is now circumventing barriers and creating a threat to several properties along the beach.
Florida Department of Emergency Management Deputy Director James Bujeda said water is moving closer to properties in Daytona Beach Shores.
“Keep in mind how much water pressure there is behind those waves. Once debris starts flying around and hitting these tubes, it just wasn’t meant to hold up to that,” Bujeda said.
According to Fentress, the county is preparing to bring in more sand to reinforce the public beach dunes. That’s on top of even more sand from the Army Corps of Engineers.
“It’s approximately 500,000 cubic yards of beach quality sand right there that was dredged right out of the inlet and ice. It’s going to go back on the beach,” she said.
In New Smyrna Beach, storm surge has been the biggest fear as work has been happening to finish seawalls.
“This is a small sample of what’s to come. We are at risk,” homeowner Jon Reny told News 6.
Turtle nesting season starts May 1, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that if property owners don’t have a permit to work by then, they’ll have to wait until the end of the season in November. That also puts property owners into hurricane seasons.
With limited engineers, contractors and supplies, dozens of homeowners don’t have permits along Volusia’s coast.
“I do everything I can to help protect turtles,” Reny said. “I believe in conservation. I’m an avid fisherman. But this is ridiculous.”
Reny’s neighbors haven’t secured a permit, and if his neighbors don’t start work for a seawall once his is built, then Reny’s seawall could be compromised yet again in another storm because it doesn’t have the neighbor’s linking with it.
“Most properties will never see a turtle on their property, yet private citizens are told they can’t start work after May 1 on the off-chance a turtle may show up,” Reny said.
Their hope is that FWC will change the May 1 deadline.
County officials said they’re prepared to allow beach work through the season with other regulations the county would put in place.
The conditions are similar from St. Johns, down the coast to Brevard County, where beach restoration has been paused because of the conditions.
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