PALM BEACH, Fla. —
Gusty winds, rough surf and a king tide are eroding beaches across South Florida, pushing waves higher onto shore and closing access to Midtown Beach in Palm Beach.
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Water reached the seawall at Midtown Beach, where high waves have carved away sand and left visitors with little room to enjoy the shoreline.
Marla Falls and Lisa Hawk arrived from Atlanta earlier this week, hoping to spend time on the beach. Instead, the conditions have disrupted their vacation plans.
Falls said there was only a narrow stretch of sand when they visited the beach the night before.
“We just stepped right over the seawall, took my shoes off, and I had my toes in the sand,” Falls said. “But it’s pretty astounding that that’s all you can do.”
Hawk said beach amenities were one of the reasons they chose their hotel.
“We’re staying at the Colony Hotel. And a part of that was about being able to come down here, stay on the beach,” Hawk said. “So very disappointing.”
The erosion comes just months after a major beach renourishment project added nearly 600,000 cubic yards of sand to Midtown Beach. The project wrapped up in May.
This king tide cycle is expected to continue through the end of October.
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