Overview
- Jetty Park Beach is closed behind fencing and barricades, and Island Beach Bar’s dune bar shut last week due to the encroaching surf.
- Crews are working overtime to fortify dunes south of the jetty, with officials warning a breach could flood the island and destroy roads and sidewalks.
- St. Lucie County approved an emergency sand dump of 10,000 cubic yards, with more deliveries scheduled this week after an initial 11-truck load helped stabilize the area.
- The near-term response is estimated to cost about $500,000 as city and county leaders coordinate equipment, materials and staffing for a sturdier temporary fix.
- A planned $15 million nourishment is a year late after the Army Corps failed to secure a contractor, and officials say a separate federal renourishment of roughly 400,000 cubic yards is expected to start in about five weeks along a mile south of the jetty.