ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Hurricane Sandy made a mess of our beaches over the weekend. And folks in St. Johns County were worried the storm would eat up its recently renourished shoreline.
Beach Manager Billy Zeits said, "There's definitely some sand that's not as tall as it was at one point, but it seems like it sloped around. But until we get some normal conditions we have no idea."
Zeits says Sandy's impact seems to be pretty minimal right now. And surfers, like John Thomas Montague, say they haven't noticed a difference. "I think it's held up for the most part. Most definitely."
But a sandy ledge just off the water's edge is a sure sign of erosion. And Zeits says it's gonna be a few days before he knows for sure just how much sand was lost. "We did survey the dune line previous to the storm as just part of an ongoing project," he said. "So once we look at that survey, get some normal beach and ocean conditions, we'll get a good idea on what impacts we faced.
Florida's beaches are renourished by the Army Corps of Engineers every five years. It was St. Johns County's turn this year. Total cost of the project was $16.2 million.
