Florida digs out of mountains of sand swept in by back-to-back hurricanes

Associated Press/Report for America

BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Residents of Florida’s Gulf Coast are digging out from mountains of sand after Hurricanes Helene and Milton clobbered them with back-to-back hits in less than two weeks. Storm surge as high as 10 feet swept sand into communities. The fine, white sand helps make Florida’s beaches among the best in the world. But the powerful storms have turned the precious commodity into a costly nuisance. It’s creating literal barriers to recovery as residents dig their way out and grapple with what to do with all that sand. One contractor says he expects many property owners will have to pay out of pocket for sand cleanup.