Sand has been a major problem along coastal Charlotte County ever since Hurricane Milton buried communities like Manasota Key.
In fact, public works told me they’ve processed about 123,000 cubic yards of sand before sending it back to the beach. Most of the sand on Manasota Key is back where it belongs months after Milton piled it up on the streets.
After weeks of sifting and cleaning, the sand now sits on the beach where families like Diane Whiteside’s come to relax.
“We stumbled on this one, and it is fabulous,” Whiteside said. Living along the Gulf Coast, she knows how hurricanes can drive dangerous debris onto our beaches. “When Ian hit on Fort Myers Beach, where we used to stay, I walked down, you know, a couple months later. I got glass in my foot off the side of my sandals, and I thought oh, my gosh.”
That danger of debris is why crews from Charlotte County Public Works have worked tirelessly to remove the sand from the street and clean it using machinery.
“It was an enormous undertaking,” said John Elias who oversees public works in Charlotte County. “Not only were they doing the logistics of pulling this sand off the road, this became a sand recipient site that private people could haul the sand off property to. At points, there were 130 loads an hour coming in here.”
All that sand had to be sorted and sifted before it could go back to the beach. The pile was more than 40 feet tall at its largest point.
While that sifting process removes a lot of the shells from the sand, it also gets rid of dangerous debris like glass and metal. Instead of sending it back on the beach, the trash goes into the landfill.
The operation took over Chadwick Park after the hurricane. Signs of the storm are still evident on the boardwalks and buildings here. At the time we spoke, Elias told Gulf Coast News they were seeking FEMA reimbursement for this entire sand operation.
The work to remove sand mixed with debris from the road, sift debris from the beach, sift sand that was removed from the road and then return it to the beach cost about $7,150,000 according to the county’s estimates in February. This amount was based upon quotes and estimates. Their final invoice reconciliation will occur in the future.
As the sand cleaning wraps up, visitors like Whiteside tell me they’re grateful to see the progress. “Kudos to them. This is going to be a fabulous beach.”
If you plan on visiting Manasota Key, keep in mind public parking may be limited due to the ongoing hurricane recovery along the coast. Public Works is also working on a plan to re-nourish the beach heading north toward Sarasota County.