Debby's Wrath Lingers on Beaches

The University of South Florida Department of Geology submitted a report to Pinellas County last week. The report summed up the amount of sand volume changes to the Pinellas beaches during Tropical Storm Debby.

The report, by Dr. Ping Wang and Tiffany Roberts, analyzed survey data collected about two weeks before and one week after the passage of Tropical Storm Debby, June 24 to 26. It summarized sand loss along various sections of the beach.

According to the news release,

"Sand volume loss in the dunes, dry beaches (shoreline to dune line) and nearshore zones (seaward of the shoreline to the trough just landward of the nearshore bar) was widespread.

The total sand volume loss for Long Key, Treasure Island and Sand Key was 630,900 cubic yards, compared to a sand volume gain of 657,700 cubic yards in the nearshore bar.

The report was forwarded to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for its use if needed to reevaluate the corps' preliminary damage assessment of $25 million to repair the Pinellas beaches. If emergency funds are obtained for Pinellas, it could be an excellent opportunity to revise the corps' ongoing work and expand the nourishment project to other beaches in need."

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