Tybee Island has lost 60% of beach since 2020, awaiting federal funding decision

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) -Tybee Island’s beach has lost roughly 60% of its sand since the last renourishment in 2020, according to Mayor Brian West, raising concerns about tighter beach conditions in some areas during high tide this summer.

“We did our last renourishment in 2020, but we’ve lost about 60% of the beach since then,” West said.

West explained that erosion hasn’t impacted every stretch of Tybee equally.

“The area by the pier has sand right now, so there’s room to get on the beach there,” West said. “But places like this, at high tide, the water’s all the way up here to the dunes.”

Because of that, visitors may need to plan their beach time around the tides.

“Everybody’s going to be looking at their tide tables to see where the water is this summer,” West said.

Officials say no parts of the beach are being closed, but some infrastructure has been impacted, like the 2nd Street crossover boardwalk.

“We just can’t use this boardwalk right now because the water is crashing into it,” West said.

Tybee Island officials are planning to recommend the best areas to visit for anyone hoping to spend the day on the sand.

Even with the erosion concerns, officials say they’re still expecting heavy summer tourism due to other offerings on the island.

“Our local hotels and restaurants have already seen an uptick in people coming over last year,” West said. “There’s five miles of beach on this island. It may be a little bit more difficult to get to some parts of the beach, but it’ll all be here.”

He also pointed out that visitors have other options beyond sunbathing.

“There’s kayaking and windsurfing and dolphin tours, plus, we have fantastic restaurants here,” West said.

Beverly Harris, a visitor from Arkansas, said the erosion did not change her decision to vacation on Tybee.

“It’s a wonderful beach. It’s a wonderful community. Everybody’s been so nice,” Harris said.

She said she noticed dune erosion during her trip to the beach on Monday and is hoping the island can secure federal funding needed for the renourishment.

“I think they should get it. I think we should take care of our world, this being our beach, and it’s an important part of this area,” Harris said.

The Skidaway Institute is monitoring sand changes quarterly, using tools like drones and LiDAR to track losses and project what areas could be impacted first.

If the island does not receive federal funding for renourishment soon, officials say they may have to consider smaller, more expensive stopgap projects to prevent flooding.

“If we don’t get our money for renourishment this year, we may go ahead and spend the money we have on smaller projects just to keep the island from being inundated, but that’s going to be way more expensive,” West said.

He warned delays could mean water reaching parts of land on the south end.

“There’s a real good chance that the water will be in the parking lots on the south end and affecting our homes,” West said. “It’ll be hard for us to allow people to park there, which will affect our general economy. And it’s not just Tybee’s economy, this whole region benefits from the tourists that come here.”

Tybee Island is seeking $12 million as the federal share of the beach renourishment project. The town’s share is $8 million, which officials say is already ready.

“We have our $8 million ready to go,” West said. “So we’re just hoping we can get that share so we can do the whole project at one time.”

West said he expects to hear about the funding decision in the coming days.