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Investigating a Seawall Solution for Flood-prone North Beach and Vilano Beach

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Rising storm Surges in North Beach

Could a seawall benefit a flood-prone hamlet north of St. Augustine? That's what St. Johns County legislators and elected officials met to discuss Friday following a boat cruise.

The issue area includes the North Beach and Vilano Beach communities, where storm surges have caused catastrophic flood damage to certain residents. While still in its early phases, St. Johns County aims to get funds for a seawall to keep floodwaters at bay.

"The surge is getting higher and higher," County Administrator Joy Andrews told Jacksonville Today, "so today what we discussed is truly a contiguous seawall that will be on the intercoastal waterway side, which is about 1 to 1 1⁄2 mile."

Navigating the coast

According to Andrews, a project like that might cost up to $100 million, so the county is hoping for some state and federal assistance so that it would not have to ask residents for money

That is when federal representatives come in, such as U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, who covers portions of Duval, St. Johns, and Clay counties. He took a boat tour around North Beach with Andrews, Florida state Rep. Cyndi Stevenson, and others.

According to Rutherford, Federal Emergency Management Agency funding is specifically intended for programs like North Beach's.

"That's what that money should be there for," Rutherford remarked. "They also have a (Flood Mitigation Assistance grant program) through FEMA, but that comes after the fact. That is to mitigate. I would much rather we establish resilience than mitigation."

With several flood mitigation projects at various stages throughout the county, Andrews said it's too early to provide a timeline for North Beach's seawall. Still, homeowners should know it's on the county's radar.

Community Considerations

"The community that is not at the front of the intercoastal waterway loves it because it doesn't impact them and will help their flooding situation," she informed us. "I think the homeowners at the waterfront are going to be the group of communities that we need to speak to, educate, and collaborate with."

While there is local support for the project, Andrews explained that it is a matter of determining how to fund it.
"But there is only so much money the locals can come up with without going to our residents, and we don't want to because we don't need to do that," she told me.

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