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Mexico Beach shoreline nearly restored after Hurricane Michael damage

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Besides homes and businesses, Hurricane Michael displaced more than 400 million cubic yards of Mexico Beach’s shoreline.

This year city officials began a re-nourishment project to put the sand back on the beach. Weeks Marine Company contractors are now putting the final touches on the project.

“We are doing the last minute part of it, which is the beach planting process where we’re planting dune vegetation as well as finishing up some of the areas with the dunes and everything. We’ve been working on it for a little over eight years. Hurricane Michael did speed up the need to put our sand back essentially and strengthen our shoreline,” Community Development Council President Kimberly Shoaf said.

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The crew are worked in 1500-foot sections, moving westward down the beach.

The three-month project added 3 miles of 14-foot dunes, starting from El Governor resort to the Mexico Beach canal.

Contractors laid out their equipment to extract one million cubic yards of sand from a borrowed sand site that has the same quality of sand as Mexico Beach. They then used a dredge to excavate that sand up and bring it onto the beach to be spread out.

“So it’s real high quality sand and just putting all that sand out there to help protect, you know, the homes and structures in the future. Because during Hurricane Michael, with 17, 20 foot waves and these dunes will help break those down and try to help those structures in the future,” Commissioner Robert Carroll said.

Within two weeks the vegetation of the dunes will be complete. The project will be finalized in-time for the beginning of turtle season in May.

The beach is currently open, but authorities are reminding people that walking on the dunes is illegal and carries a fine.