Beach nourishment and public policy after Hurricane Floyd: where do we go from here?

This paper examines the public policy and implementation of beach nourishment within the context of the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd. It further examines the deficiencies of current policies impacting decision making. Some of the factors ignored in the decision making are: enhancement of the ecology of the beach, especially in terms of sea turtle nesting grounds; socio-cultural impacts, i.e. cost–benefit analysis of tourism, historical life-way patterns, community tax base; sand source allocation and forward contracting; and the adverse impact of current FEMA disaster insurance policies. The findings indicate a need for major revisions to FEMAʹs policies, the parameters used for designing nourishment projects, and the need to include other cost/benefits, such as tourism, when scoping the project. Recommended policy changes are included in the concluding section as a basis of discussion — not as definitive procedures.