Beach Erosion

Work should soon get started on at least one project to renourish part of Pinellas County's, beaches, which were flattened by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The project needs signatures from about 400 property owners in three communities by the end of the weekend to move forward with the project to replenish beaches.

Pinellas County officials are working with the White House to get emergency approval for beach renourishment projects that have been stymied by new rules from the Army Corps of Engineers.

Governmental officials and activists have been gridlocked for years over whether and how to reopen Midnight Pass, south of Siesta Key.

Pinellas County and tourism officials are "officially" welcoming back visitors to the county's famed beaches. But the restoration of damaged beachside buildings is still ongoing.

Helene brought up to 18 feet of waves at the mouth of Tampa Bay, less than 10 miles from the shoreline. The storm surge also overtopped the Gulf-side seawall by up to 2 feet and bayside seawall by over 4 feet.

The storm surge was so massive that it floated most of the dunes onto nearby homes or on top of Gulf Boulevard. And that could mean big trouble during the next big storm.

County officials warn residents should not just return it to the beach, as it could be contaminated.

The storm continued a long history of erosion at the popular beach. The bay is now only several yards from the Courtney Campbell Causeway.

It may take weeks to assess the damage. Sunset Beach looks to have fared the worst.

County commissioners expressed concern about using bed taxes to help fund the stadium over the life of the project. But officials say there's enough money to pay for that and help renourish the county's eroded beaches.

The additional money pledged by the state comes as an impasse continues with the Army Corps of Engineers over allocating federal funds to replenish eroded beaches.