Wherever Tropical Storm Erika goes, Florida’s east coast is expected to feel the impacts.

In Brevard County, that means major coastal erosion is a concern.

A Florida Tech professor and his students plan to survey Melbourne Beach Friday morning and then come back after Erika passes by to see how much sand the beach loses.

Sand plays an important role on the Space Coast.

After Hurricane Sandy passed by three years ago, $37 million in taxpayer dollars was spent to renourish the beaches along 30 miles of Brevard County.

Sand was pumped in to replace battered beaches that had major erosion.

Some dunes were destroyed, crosswalks were damaged, and steep cliffs formed.

Tourism leaders say Brevard County’s beaches have an annual billion dollar economic impact.

Plus, they provide a buffer to protect homes and businesses on the barrier island.

A county expert says right now Brevard County beaches are in good shape and should be able to provide a protective buffer as designed.

But we should still expect some erosion.