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SOUTH PATRICK SHORES, Fla. – Central Florida’s coastline can’t seem to catch a break from what’s been a week of rough conditions at the beaches.
Monday, the manager of Brevard County’s beaches program said he spotted some of the worst beach erosion at South Patrick Residents Association Park.
South Patrick Shores Community Correspondent James Sparvero asked Mike McGarry how much of a threat erosion continues to be on the coast.
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“The beaches have clearly been beat up by the wind and waves over the last week,” McGarry said. “So, the beaches are adjusting and getting narrow, but for the most part, they’re doing their job. Only in a few scattered places have I seen the waves high enough that they’ve actually cut into the dune line.”
McGarry said another beach access suffering from erosion was Grant Avenue in Satellite Beach.
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“When it lingers, there’s no time for recovery,” he said of the ongoing storms. “Wednesday, Thursday this week will be among the highest tides of the whole year, and it’s gonna be windy this week. So, all of that makes it a tough week for beaches.”
An oceanfront resident reiterated McGarry’s comments about the dunes doing their job.
Ottmar Lange credited the most recent beach renourishment project for protecting his condo.
“In comparison to last year, we are absolutely safe now,” he said. “The water is higher than last year, and the dunes are still here. So, it’s perfect.”
Lange said he believes Mother Nature will return the beach to its normal state within a few weeks.
“This is going to come back,” he said. “You can see it every year. This ridge comes and goes.”
The next renourishment projects in the county have already been planned years in advance.
Like Lange, McGarry said he expects the beaches will recover from the recent storms naturally, too.
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