FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Time and time again the Flagler County community has suffered from major damage due to hurricane seasons — restoration from Hurricane Nicole is still underway. However, work to repair years of beach erosion will begin Monday along the Flagler County coastline as a part of the FEMA Emergency Dune project.

What You Need To Know

  • FEMA is funding the Emergency Dune project, which has a goal of repairing washed-out roads and beach erosion from previous hurricanes seasons

  • The work began in September with work on A1A and will end with work being done in the River-to-Sea Preserve area of Flagler County

  • The entire project will cover 11.6 miles of coastline with 6 cubic yards of sand per foot being laid for restoration

  • FDOT leaders are searching for a more permanent solution for the beach erosion

The project officially kicked off in September with work on A1A. Staging for that work at the River-to-Sea Preserve park will begin, with contractors already set up to repair areas of the roadway. This means the park will be closed during the week while crews add 6 cubic yards of sand per foot along about 11.6 miles of the coastline.

The state has been working to fix washouts that happened over the summer, with one of the most recent happening in July. While this is a temporary fix, Florida Department of Transportation leaders are now looking into more permanent solutions for the longevity of the roadway.

A beach goer said he's been living in the Palm Coast area for 15 years. Though he doesn't deal with the coastline directly, Tim O’Neill said he enjoys visiting the beach near the River-to-Sea Preserve, and he'd like for it to keep its natural look if possible. 

“It seems to happen almost every year, a little bit each time a storm comes, so it’s kind of hard to protect the beach when we’re so close to A1A," he said. "So, again, natural I like the natural look. I don’t really want a seawall that much but if that’s the only really good solution then I would leave it to the engineers to know what they’re doing on that."

He said because he's near the canal system, Hurricane Nicole had little impact on his home, other than some rising water. Like many residents in Flagler County and surrounding areas, O’Neill said repairing the washed out roads and the beach erosion with sand does not seem to be a permanent fix, but he's hoping that a long term solution does not come at the cost of the natural beauty of the beach.

The work in Flagler County starting this week is the final project for the FEMA Emergency Dune project for this year. The work is expected to wrap up before Thanksgiving.