Galveston Island beach erosion still being assessed after Hurricane Beryl made Texas landfall

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) — Over six weeks after Hurricane Beryl made landfall in southeast Texas, beaches on the West End of Galveston Island are just getting cleaned up.

For the last three weeks, city crews have been working to repair beach access points on the West End of Galveston Island after a 6-foot surge buckled roads, swept sand back to sea, and left debris in its wake.

Kyle Clark, the coastal resources manager for the City of Galveston, has been overseeing the cleanup.

City council member Marie Robb noted that the damage in this part of the island was the worst she’s seen since Hurricane Ike.

While beach erosion and damage of this nature are only problems when the tropics come alive, Clark says future work could help mitigate the extent of damage along area beaches during future storms.

“We don’t anticipate an evacuation order, but we’ve got to be ready,” a Matagorda County spokesperson said. Matagorda County said as many as 60,000 more people could be in the area.

“After we’re done with this, we’re going to cut back that road. We’ll bring in sand and bring out as much profile (of the beach) as we can,” Clark said.

The lesson here is the importance of sand, as it acts as a natural barrier to high tides and surges.

And while sand was washed away during Beryl, city officials tell ABC13 these new projects to help fortify the west end beaches could begin in 2025.

A reminder, too, is that beaches on the West End of the island are not protected by the seawall.

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