FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  September 21, 2004
CONTACT: Russell Schweiss, (850) 245-2112 

Florida Continues Beach Assessments after Hurricanes

--Damage assessments for Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan underway --

TALLAHASSEE - In the wake of three major hurricanes, teams of engineers and environmental managers from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are assessing beach erosion along Florida’s coast. Flyovers along the east, Gulf and Emerald coasts are documenting impacts to the state’s famed beaches, sandy dunes and coastal communities.

“Florida’s beaches and dunes act as the first line of defense against storms and high waves, providing a natural buffer for coastal habitats,” said DEP Secretary Colleen M. Castille. “Our communities and shoreline took a direct hit from three storms. A thorough impact assessment will provide the State with the needed information to begin environmental restoration.”

Immediately following the landfall of Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan, DEP’s Bureaus of Beaches and Coastal Systems began assessing beach erosion, dune loss and structural damage through ground and aerial evaluations. Engineers completed close to 1,000 hours of aerial and ground assessments across 25 counties, shooting 42 hours of video and more than 5,000 still photographs to document hurricane damage.

On the west coast, preliminary beach assessments documented coastal impacts from Collier to Pinellas County, focusing on the nine barrier islands of Lee County where Hurricane Charley made landfall just over a month ago. Gasparilla Island and Captiva Island sustained minor beach erosion, while North Captiva Island, at the center of the hurricane’s landfall, suffered major beach erosion and a 1/3 mile wide pass now divides the island.

After completing a flyover along the entire east coast from Nassau to Miami-Dade County, the Department began the initial aerial assessment of Panhandle beaches affected by Hurricane Ivan. The overflight began in Franklin County and followed the coastline west, ending in Escambia County. Current assessments indicate significant damage to coastal structures along shorelines, widespread erosion and reductions in beach elevation.