FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. — For years, the Flagler County's coastline has suffered major damage from hurricanes.

However, those along the coastline say an emergency dune project that came to fruition last year helped protect homes and infrastructures during hurricanes Helene and Milton. 

Residents say they still remember the significant damage left by 2022 Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, and say they are thankful that the new dunes did their job to protect homes and businesses from additional damage. 

What You Need To Know

  • In 2023, Flagler County built a 11.4-mile emergency dune project to protect infrastructure — including roads, homes and businesses — from hurricane damage

  • Flagler County officials are calling the project a success, since it helped protect homes and local infrastructure from substantial damage during Hurricanes Helene and Milton   

  • Even though the majority of the sand from the initial project eroded, county officials are gearing up with FEMA for a second time to restore the dunes

  • Officials estimate that about 100,000 cubic yards of sand used for the initial dune project was lost due to Milton

Parts of the Flagler Beach pier, near the Funky Pelican restaurant along State Road A1A, broke off after Hurricane Ian.

Two years later, the pier is still closed to the public.

“It used to be a very big hotspot for everybody," said Funky Pelican manager Richard Camp. "And since then, we haven’t been able to access it outside of just a landmark, if you will.” 

Camp credits the dune restoration project with protecting his restaurant from storm damage, saying it has made a world of difference.

“I noticed, at least with these last two storms, that the beach erosion wasn’t as bad as it has been in years past,” he said.

Flagler County dunes (Spectrum News/Sasha Teman)

The project extended 11.4 miles along the northern part of Flagler County’s coast. Flagler County Coastal Engineering Administrator Ansley Wren-Key said the goal of the project was to protect roads, homes and infrastructure along State Road A1A from hurricane damage. 

“It was really good to see that this berm actually protected us during the hurricane," Wren-Key said. "Although not direct impact, we did get a 3-foot storm surge here, and it protected the upland structures.”

Since the last two storms swept a great deal of the sand off the beach, the Wren-Key said the county already has plans to partner up with FEMA for a second time to restore the lost dunes.

Wren-Key said the project will once again be funded by FEMA and will begin once they figure out just how much sand was lost.

She estimated that about a quarter of the sand used for the initial dune project was lost due to Milton. Upon completion, the emergency dune project used about 400,000 cubic yards of sand, according to Wren-Key.

Flagler County dunes (Spectrum News/Sasha Teman)

Even though the project created traffic concerns at the time, many Flagler County residents say it was a worthy investment in the end.

“It may have been a bit of an issue, just because of the traffic and whatnot blocking off A1A with excavators, but being able to have our beach back is a big part of what Flagler Beach is about,” Camp said.