St. Johns County will spend up to $400,000 on a vulnerability study looking at a breach that led to millions of dollars worth of damage in the Summer Haven community.
Commissioners approved the expenditure unanimously on Tuesday. They hope the study will help them find a cost-effective way to repair the breach or other long-term solutions for beach erosion in the area.
People who live in Summer Haven have been telling commissioners that the breach needs to be fixed, but other St. Johns County residents say taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be used in what’s been described as a losing battle against the ocean.
The breach was caused by a nor’easter that blew through the region in November, which washed away $5 million worth of sand and work that had gone into beach renourishment, according to WJCT News partner News4Jax. Scientists say floods like this will become more common as sea levels continue to rise due to climate change.
