PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A coastal engineering consultant says Panama City Beach suffered only moderate beach erosion during Hurricane Michael.
On Tuesday, Lisa Armbruster told the Bay County Tourist Development Council that the 4½-foot (1.22-meter) storm surge during the Oct. 10 storm, the northerly winds on the western side pushed the water back out to sea.
But 33 miles (53 kilometers) to the east, the storm brought a “phenomenal” surge of 16 to 20 feet (4.8 to 6 meters) in Mexico Beach.
Armbruster told the council one of her firm’s ongoing priorities is the planning and permitting process for what she says will likely be a $20 to $25 million beach reconstruction and nourishment project for Mexico Beach.