Broward reports widespread beach erosion after Nicole's lashing
POMPANO BEACH - Broward beaches took a beating during Hurricane Nicole Wednesday. Relentless pounding waves stripped beaches of sand causing widespread erosion.
Charles Dube saw it when he stepped outside his door Thursday and onto the south end of Pompano Beach.
"The waves were intense Wednesday night. I lost at least 75 feet of sand," he said.
On Thursday, Broward Beach Program Manager Jacob Rice traveled from Hallandale Beach up to Pompano Beach with a crew to document the erosion on the more than 20 miles of beaches in the county.
"The south end below Port Everglades appeared to be hit the worst," he said.
After a full assessment is done, Rice said the county will offer up solutions for the various municipalities. "It could be a renourishment project, a dune grant or an Army Corps of Engineers project," Rice said.
The Army Corps is still working on a massive beach renourishment project in Broward, but already much of the tons of sand trucked into Pompano Beach from NE 16th Street north to the Hillsboro inlet has been washed out to sea.
"I moved here 15 years ago and saw what a problem erosion was," says wildlife and marine biologist Kristen Hoss.
Hoss is the executive director of the Youth Environmental Alliance (YEA). The Alliance is a nonprofit that focuses on restoration and recreational opportunities for anyone interested in helping the environment no matter the age or ability level.
One of their efforts is dune and mangrove restoration in partnership with Broward cities.
For nearly 10 years they've been working on creating dunes on Broward beaches. Sand dunes provide natural coastal protection against storm surges and high waves, preventing or reducing coastal flooding and structural damage.
"The state of Florida says if you renourish beaches, you must put dunes to keep the sand in place," Hoss said.
Environmental educator Sean Doyle is on a mission to empower communities to understand we can all play a part in trying to keep sand on the beach.
"It's something simple as putting a plant to lock in the sand," he says.
If you would like to volunteer with the Youth Environmental Alliance you can email them at info@YEAFROG.org or their website at youthenvironmentalalliance.com.