SWFL officials developing beach renourishment projects to help coasts recover
FORT MYERS – Ordinarily, you wouldn’t bring sand to a beach. But that’s exactly what many beaches on Southwest Florida’s coast need right now.
Beaches in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties are still recovering from storm surge during Hurricane Ian. Many beaches lost a significant amount of sand, and critical dunes were destroyed. County officials said it could take months to get the beaches back in shape.
“In my mind, getting those beaches back in shape is the number one priority for our local economy,” Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman said. “So many people, so many businesses count on having those beaches look pristine and beautiful so that tourists will come down here and spend their money down here and support their businesses.”
Hamman said restoring the beaches isn’t just about the visuals. He said getting the sand back could help protect structures on the coast against future storms once they’re rebuilt.
“There is a functional component,” he said. “Those beach dunes actually do serve as a break during storm surge.”
“I think these storms are kind of everything,” Abbegail said. “They impact people’s lives so severely.”
Right now, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working to find ways to protect homes and businesses along the Collier County coast from storm surge.