INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — Pinellas County officials provided an update on the beaches and parks, just weeks after Hurricanes Helene and Milton impacted the Gulf Coast.
Chief Resiliency Officer Dr. Wes Brooks spoke alongside, Commission Chair Kathleen Peters and Florida Reps. Linda Chaney and Nick DiCeglie, discussing the county's efforts toward beach renourishment.
After the storms completely eroded the beaches, beach renourishment has become a "vital and viable program within the county," DiCeglie said.
They will continue to push toward resilience recoveries to restore the community after Pinellas County faced devastating storm impacts.
Officials discussed the next steps for beach restoration and the importance of these steps toward hurricane recovery, as Peters said the county has been working toward this project for several years.
The county is also working with the Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild the beaches and provide resources to the locals. Officials said $60 million was supposed to be provided for flood risk protection, but they are continuing to work with the state for these recovery efforts.
After Hurricane Irma, the beaches were 5-feet below elevation. That missing sand would've been able to absorb more energy coming in— meaning the impact from these recent storms would've had less of an impact.
"This has to be our highest priority for the safety of our people," Peters added.
The county saw up to 1 million cubic feet of loss. Sunset Beach, Treasure Island, and Bel Air Beach suffered the most erosion, while Pass-a-Grille held up fairly well, however, a significant amount of sand was lost.
WFLA live steamed the press conference at 10 a.m., which can be viewed in the video player above.