SARASOTA, Fla. --The Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix is historically the busiest weekend of the year for Lido Beach, but this time around it was a bit rocky, as spectators found fewer places to sit than ever before.
- Seating limited due to hurricane damage
- $22 million granted to restore beach
- Restoration project to begin spring 2019
Hurricane Irma coupled with Subtropical Storm Alberto took a real toll on the beach.
Sandbags placed during the biggest coastal storms didn't seem to do the trick and Lido Beach lost about 15 feet of shoreline over the last year.
"It's very short right now, just people can't come here anymore, there's just nowhere to be," said Gordon Anderson, who runs a handmade jewelry stand at the beach.
Late last month, $22 million was allotted through federal, state, and local funds to renourish the beach. But bringing back what was lost will takes months of work.
"It's an emergency, if we get one storm this is all going," Anderson added.
The beach renourishment project is slated to begin in spring 2019 and is expected to be completed by next hurricane season.