🌅 🌊 South Beach Emergency

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👁️ Caught my eye: 🌳 St. Lucie County has over 75 parks and preserves – Options range from beaches to native Florida habitats, team sports facilities to camping sites. County offers parks for every interest and lifestyle. County parks

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☀️ Day: High of 77°F | A mix of clouds and sun early. 2% chance of rain.
🌙 Night: Low of 51°F | Mainly clear. Winds light and variable. 9% chance of rain.
🌅 Sunrise: 7:01 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 6:10 PM
🌙 Moonrise: 2:38 AM | 🌚 Moonset: 12:51 PM
🎶 Sounds like: "Optimistic" — Sounds of Blackness (I have been wearing this song out)

The City of Fort Pierce has declared the erosion happening at South Beach a state of emergency. Following a meeting just Monday, the erosion in one commissioner's words has reached an emergency level to the point where the ocean could spill onto A1A.

How Bad Is It: In some places, there was just eight feet of dune remaining before the city began emergency efforts, according to City Commissioner Michael Broderick. "We were going to have a breach of this dune the next time we have a front come through," he said. "Once that dune breaches, we're flooding Ocean Drive and we've got seawater running all the way down into the lagoon. A very bad situation. Extremely dangerous."

What's Been Done: City and county workers placed concrete barriers and sand to protect homes and infrastructure along South Ocean Drive south of Jetty Park. The barriers are repeatedly knocked down by waves. At one point, steel chains connecting the barriers were snapped by the waves. Workers are in treacherous conditions, in water up to their knees and waist, even at low tide. St. Lucie County authorized 10,000 cubic yards of "sacrificial sand" ($500,000) to buy time until the federal project starts.

The Emergency Declaration: Mayor Linda Hudson signed the state of emergency, effective for seven days and renewable for additional seven-day periods. This authorizes City Manager Richard Chess to make emergency purchases, authorize staff overtime, and close areas to the public without commission action. The city will acquire machinery to install large concrete blocks at critical points. Without this equipment, Broderick fears the dune will be gone before federal renourishment begins in about five weeks.

The Long-Term Fix: A federal beach renourishment project is expected to begin in March and cost upwards of $15 million. The Army Corps of Engineers will place nearly 400,000 cubic yards of sand on about 1 mile of shoreline south of the Fort Pierce Inlet. Even longer-term, the Corps is planning six T-groin installations and a detached breakwater. That project, initially slated for 2030, has been moved up and may begin later this year. The only way to eliminate the need for renourishment would be to close and fill in the inlet, which County Commissioner James Clasby said he does not expect to happen.

Watch Commissioner Broderick explain the emergency | Share your thoughts

The popular boat ramp at Round Island Park closed February 3 for repairs to cracked concrete and failing walkways, with the $35,300 project expected to finish March 3. The dual ramp, which allows two boats to launch simultaneously and is a favorite of island boaters for its proximity to Fort Pierce Inlet, is undergoing its first major repair since installation in 1992.

👉 Read more (Vero News)

Vertical construction is underway on part of the King's Landing property in downtown Fort Pierce, with INB Homes developing 10 luxury townhomes and the frame of at least one house already going up. The initial construction comes after years of delays, with work underway nearby that could pave the way for the rest of the project later this year.

👉 Read more (TCPalm, TCPalm subscription may be required)

The American Heart Association is pushing for a SNAP-friendly farmers market at Post Family Park in Indiantown, where 28 percent of residents live at or below the poverty line and face high food costs and limited transportation. The market would accept SNAP benefits and participate in Fresh Access Bucks, matching up to $20 in produce purchases, with organizers planning to present the proposal to county commissioners for the 2026-2027 budget cycle.

👉 Read more (WQCS)

See you tomorrow!
With Love, Ja'Min

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