VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Many people are still feeling the impacts of Hurricane Dorian.
The hurricane caused some damage and beach erosion in Sandbridge, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it could have been a lot worse.
On Tuesday, officials with the Army Corps got a birds-eye view of the beach from a drone. Sandbridge Beach Replenishment Project Manager, Kristin Mazur said this is the first time using this type of technology.
“It immediately increases our efficiency opposed to coastal engineers walking down the beach and looking at the beach for erosion," Mazur said. "We are actually getting it in pictures and we are getting it much quicker.”
The Army Corps is doing this in response to Hurricane Dorian. Sandbridge Civic League President Andrew Roper said it caused some damage and beach erosion, but he said it could have been a lot worse!
“There were some areas where it seems as though some of the dunes have been washed away a little bit like bottom half’s have been washed away but at least the top half’s are still there so once we get this replenishment in, it should fill in those voids and help restore the dunes,” Roper explained.
The Army Corps of Engineers and the city of Virginia Beach are working together to replenish the beach between Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Dam Neck Naval Facility.
The project is expected to start in the Fall of 2019 and finish by May 2020.
“It’s a little later than we were hoping for, but we are glad they didn’t do it over the tourist season, sooner, rather than later,” explained Roper.
Army of Engineers crews plans to be back in Sandbridge Tuesday to continue surveying the beach and gathering more pictures.
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