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Palm Beach set to receive $4 million for public beach renourishment

Posted at 1:15 PM, Nov 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-20 18:58:50-05

Beaches impacted by the two most recent hurricanes are about to get millions of dollars to help rebuild them.

The town of Palm Beach says Hurricane Matthew and Irma eroded much of their shoreline.

Currently near Ocean and Worth avenues there isn’t much room for people to lay out without waves crashing on them.

On Monday, U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel announced FEMA would pitch in to help rebuild the town's public beaches by giving them more than $4 million.

"It’s about jobs. It’s about our economy," Frankel said. "The beaches drive about $90 billion of economic activity to the state of Florida, and that’s the biggest selling point and why we get so many tourists to come in.

The town has a comprehensive coastal management plan to cover $100 million in beach renourishment projects. Mayor Gail Coniglio says the residents foot that bill.

"We certainly celebrate the fact that the president of the United States calls the town of Palm Beach home ... We embrace that we’re a world-renowned community," said Coniglio.

Two years ago the beach was renourished, but Coniglio says it is needed once again. 

Next month the Army Corps of Engineers will pump sand on the northern shore after it dredges the Palm Beach Inlet. So far there is no timetable for the projects that this new grant will pay for.