FEMA again denies funding for South Florida beaches damaged by Hurricane Sandy

For a year, Zak and Elly planned to visit Florida beaches. They're vacationing from Australia, and wanted to see what many locals call paradise.

Zak Ogram said, "I just wanted to come down and check out the beach in the nice hot weather." Elly McKinnon told us, "We are just so excited to come down and hang out at the beach all day."

What Zak and Elly don't know is that some area beaches were damaged in October  by Hurricane Sandy. Last year FEMA denied the county any money to re-nourish the beaches.

Environmental Supervisor Leanne Welch said, "We had a month to appeal that denial, and the governor's office appealed that denial along with help from all of the coastal communities and roughly about a month later we got a final denial."

Welch says it's a denial of 20 million dollars that has a direct impact on the county's economy. Beautiful beaches means a lot of tourists.

So the county is looking at a plan B. 

"What's the next step? We are talking to our state and federal legislators and lobbyists and hoping to get some emergency appropriations for additional funding. But if that doesn't happen, our beaches are not going to go away forever," Welch says.