Hurricanes Help Build Case for Beach Rebuilding
October 1st, 2004
Herald Tribune
MARCO ISLAND, FL – October 1, 2004 – The Sarasota Herald Tribune reported on the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association’s (“FSBPA”) three-day annual meeting.
According to FSBPA’s conference speakers, communities with renourished beaches suffered less damage from the hurricane foursome of Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne than those without.
Mike Barnett, chief of the state Bureau of Beach and Coastal Systems, stated, “The restored beaches did what they were supposed to do; they protected the upland structures.” Army Corps of Engineers Col. Robert Carpenter added, “Restored and reclaimed beaches have done very well. They’ve sacrificed themselves to protect upland structures.”
The Herald Tribune subsequently reported that the storms of 2004 stripped sand from approximately 950 of the state’s 1,300 miles of coast-line. The federal government and local state contributions will pay for $180 million worth of beach rebuilding, mostly in Florida, to help offset potential damage from another severe hurricane season.