Performance of Raised Area on A1A
Those residents who were in Town Wednesday witnessed the deluge Hurricane Nicole brought. At high tide, it was a trifecta of potential flooding. King Tides, a level-one hurricane, and the regular high-tide cycle put our newly constructed road in the south end of Town to the test. I am happy to report the road performed well and at no time did it flood. Imagine what things would have been like under these circumstances before the road was raised…
Beachside
On the other hand, damage beachside is a different story. In many places, the beach suffered substantial erosion. Even the middle mile (which typically fairs better than the north or south mile) lost two to three feet in elevation where waves pounded against the dunes for a sustained period of time, scouring away not only the sand, but wiping out large portions of the dune itself. This demonstrates the importance of the dunes as a protective barrier.
Looking out at the relatively calm, clear water today, it’s quite easy to see massive amounts of sand repositioned just off-shore. While there is a possibility some of that displaced sand will be carried back onto shore, it’s good that we have already done the legwork and been given approval for a major beach nourishment in March. This will be our first joint nourishment with Deerfield under the terms of the settlement agreement reached in 2020. The process for a beach nourishment can take two to three years to get all the permits (Broward County, State of Florida, and United States Army Corps of Engineers), bid the job, schedule construction, and actually execute the work. In addition, the work must be performed outside the six months of turtle season.
Looking Ahead
A mid-November storm system like Nicole is fairly unusual, and after Ian, many people assumed we were home free for this year. We are fortunate to have escaped the worst part of Nicole’s wrath, but we will have to accept the fact that our beach will not see major improvement until March. In the meantime, we need to count our blessings. Let’s enjoy the upcoming holidays with family and friends and appreciate all the good things about living in Florida!
Sincerely,
Deb Tarrant
Mayor, Hillsboro Beach |
1043 Hillsboro Mile Ocean Apartments 