WFLA

‘A lot of beach erosion’: Dozens of entrances at Indian Rocks Beach closed after Hurricane Idalia

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — More than a dozen beach entrances to Indian Rocks Beach are closed due to damage from Hurricane Idalia.

Families in the area said the shoreline looks different after the storm.

“We’ve got a lot of beach erosion,” Vicki Goonen said. “We’ve lost here, it looks like, maybe 3 feet of erosion going on. Hopefully, the water will go back out and we’ll get some beach back.”

Storm surge filled streets in the city Wednesday when bands of Idalia rolled through Pinellas County’s barrier islands.

“This time was a little different. We’ve never had our street actually flood,” Goonen said.

The water washed away large amounts of sand and dunes from the shoreline. The mayor and some members of the city council said renourishment is an important part of protecting the beach.

On Friday, city leaders will hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. discussing the storm’s aftermath and efforts to restore damaged sections of the beach.

Non-accessible beach entrances:

Accessible beach entrances: