Gone With the Wind: Storms Deepen Florida’s Beach Sand Crunch

Beachgoers walk past condemned homes along heavily eroded shoreline at Vilando Beach, in the wake of Hurricane Irma and three nor'easters in the months since, north of St. Augustine, Florida, U.S., January 26, 2018. Reuters/Gregg Newton

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla—Down the palm tree-lined roads of northeast Florida’s Flagler County, a half-dozen dump trucks are shuttling back and forth along the Atlantic coast pouring thousands of tons of sand onto the local beach.

Replacing sand swept away by waves and wind is critical work to protect seaside homes and businesses as well as the tourism dollars brought by northerners seeking refuge from the cold in the Sunshine State.