Beach erosion troubles in Sarasota

For as long as Roger Barrow can remember, the sand along Lido Key has been on the move.

"I have been walking here since '68. It changes. It goes back and forth," he explained.

Barrow saw what happened in 2012 after tropical storm Debby washed away the beaches.

Early this year, he watched again when the Army Corps of Engineers stepped in to restore the beaches.

Now, five months later the beaches are disappearing again.

"We had day after day after day. The waves were so big," he said.

Weeks of heavy rain and storms are taking a toll on the Sarasota beach side community.

"It would be at least another 20 or 30 yards out. It is really the closest I have ever seen it," Brian Biermann told FOX 13.

The city knew it would be a matter of time for the beach to erode again. City engineer, Alex Davis Shaw said she didn't know it would happen so quickly.

"If something just comes in quickly there will be a little bit of erosion, but it doesn't do quite the amount of damage something like this does so," said Davis Shaw.

The city of Sarasota is working with the Army Corps on a long term plan. It has been in the works for about two decades.

Now they are waiting on the state's final approval, which could take months.

"There would always be 80-feet more of sand and then if we get to that point we would being the next project," added Davis Shaw.

The re-nourishment would be done once every five years and repeated after storms.

Davis Shaw said it is all about planning ahead.

"So we are not worrying about the next storm that may take out a road, home or environment that the animals need," she said.

The long term vision will cost millions of dollars.

Funding will come from the Army Corps, state and tourist development funds, but many said it will be worth the time and money.

"The community has to have it. You have to have it you can't do it without it," said Biermann.