Hurricane Hermine impacts homes on Manasota Key

ENGLEWOOD – Homes along the beach on Manasota Key were impacted by Hurricane Hermine.

Beachfront properties have been dealing with beach erosion for years but residents say the damage worsens after each storm. On Friday, Charlotte County officials surveyed the damage and condemned two condo units at La Coquina as well as a single family home.

Although the county said the crumbling foundation underneath was too dangerous, one man who lives in the condo complex said he doesn’t agree.

“We hired an engineer to come out and do an evaluation of the building–he’s a registered professional engineer–he says the building is stable. There is no worry about that building coming down,” Steve Stump said.

Over the years, these properties have lost grass, trees, and parts of their patios. Some homeowners are now scrambling to get permits to build sea walls.

“I think we have lost something like 2,000 cubic yards of sand out of our berms, out of everything else, that’s a significant loss,” Stump said.

Charlotte County officials say they are trying to work with the state on a beach re-nourishment project, but it won’t be completed until sometime next year.