Flagler County discusses plans to rebuild beaches damaged by erosion

PALM COAST, Fla. - Flagler County officials say strong northeast winds over the last few days caused beach erosion at Old Salt Park and other parts of the coast. They say the county has a plan for a long-term fix. 

Flagler County will be discussing its beach management plan at a board meeting set for the middle of next month.

Frank Reimer, visiting from Texas, said he was surprised by the steep drop down to the beach. 

"Seems like we're deeper into the ocean, I guess you could say. It's quite a bit of a drop."

Ansley Wren-Key, Flagler County coastal engineering administrator, said the weather hasn't been kind to the beach. It looked like the sand had been sheared away from the coastline. 

"The water levels are now higher, coming up further on the beach, up to the dune," she said, "and those erosive waves are able to erode the dune."

Wren-Key said all of that eats away at the dunes. But the county has a plan to dredge up sand from out in the ocean and move it back to the shore, rebuilding the beach. Wren-Key said it would be a continuation of Flagler Beach's plan to bring sand back onto their beach. 

"The beaches, again are very important to the county, and we are dedicated to making this happen."

Wren-Key said the permitting process could take a year and the dredging operation would take two or three years after that. Longtime Flagler County residents say they're hoping for a fix. Sherry Crimmins, a Palm Coast resident said she had seen the sand come and go over the years. 

"One storm does the damage, and the last hurricane they were still renewing the dunes, and it was kind of a fight with the weather there, for a while."