Tropical Storm Debby and the high tide brought water onto the beach, hitting the sand dunes. Now, the water is barely reaching the tip of the pier. Beachgoers and surfers expressed hope that this would be the most significant impact from the storm.
“I have seen 120 to 130 feet of sand disappear in one night because of a storm, so this is not too bad, and we didn’t lose too much,” said Ron Joiner, a St. Augustine resident.
This beach nourishment project, which was federally funded at around $33 million, was seen by several St. Augustine residents as crucial in preventing real damage to the beach despite the occurrence of tropical storms like Debby.
“I think we knew the storms were going to take out a lot of the sand, especially since a lot of it hadn’t settled in yet,” said Jeannine Litty, another St. Augustine resident.
Some onlookers estimated that at least 100 yards of sand were washed away.
“I know the army corps engineers did a really good job with the beach restoration. It protected a lot of St. Augustine, and they’re doing good work. It’s definitely sad to see the water come all the way back up, but I believe the engineers will do a great job in the future to keep us safe and protected,” said Alex Wenzel, a St. Augustine resident.