Beach erosion woes: Up to 2 feet of sand lost amid storms in Daytona Beach, officials say
Erosion concerns on Volusia County beaches
Up and down the Volusia County coast, ramps and walkovers were closed because of beach erosion from recent storms. Officials said this erosion has caused what's called a drop off, meaning there might be a foot or two difference where the sand was and is no longer present.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - With so much sand gone from Volusia County's coastline, Sunday morning's high tide didn't leave much beach.
"It ruined my beach day!" complained Gabriela Toscano, who was visiting from Orlando. "The only day we get out of the week that's hot."
The Volusia County shoreline has been under siege. The county’s Public Works Director Ben Bartlett said a recent nor’easter only made things worse.
"We need some time to get in there and repair that, maybe add a step or two to ensure that folks can safely access the beach on the walkovers," he said. "We've seen it happen before. And unfortunately, it's happening this week."
Up and down the coast, several ramps and walkovers were closed because of beach erosion.
Volusia County closes multiple beach walkovers, vehicle ramps due to 'dangerous ocean conditions'
The lingering effects of a storm off the east coast of Florida are causing dangerous beach conditions in Volusia County, forcing officials to close more than a dozen walkovers and vehicle access ramps.
In Daytona Beach, officials said the amount of sand lost ranges from 10 inches to 2 feet. As they worked to patch things up, Bartlett said people should be mindful of the shrinking beach.
"The erosion of the sand from the beach has caused what we call drop-offs. So, you know, the end of the stairs, you might have a foot, two-foot drop-off where the sand was and is no longer present," Bartlett said.
Earlier this week, the county closed 14 access ramps because of erosion. County officials said visitors should pay attention as they walked and drove.
Visitors said it was disappointing.
"Monday through Friday, it's cold," said Brianna McIntyre, who was visiting from Orlando. "So it's like we're looking forward to the weekend, and we see this!"
MORE: Florida beaches lose sand amid storms
Beach Patrol recommended everybody download and use the official Volusia Beaches app. They said it had all the latest updates about which ramps and access points are open or closed.