TAMPA, Fla. — It's been almost two months since Hurricane Idalia ripped through Florida, and some coastal communities are still cleaning up the aftermath. 

What You Need To Know

  • Storm surge and high tide during Hurricane Idalia damaged dunes on Anna Maria Island. 

  • On Saturday, volunteers helped plant 1,000 sea oats on Holmes Beach to replace what was lost during the storm. 

  • Sea oats build up and stabilize dunes, which serve as the first line of defense against hurricanes and other storms. 

  • Previous coverage: Manatee County seeks help for Anna Maria Island erosion

Manatee County’s barrier islands saw storm surge that washed out dunes and sea oats, the first line of defense against hurricanes and other storms. 

“They are incredibly important to the area,” said Jennifer Hoffman, executive director of Keep Manatee Beautiful. “They helped with this last storm surge. They kept a lot of the waters away so that it was only minor flooding here on the island, but they did get damaged. So it’s our responsibility to make sure that they’re built back up so that they’re there for the next one.”

John Fagley has been living on Anna Maria Island since 2009 and loves the island life. With every storm that passes through, Fagley sees a change to the beaches. Since Idalia, he noticed the dunes look flatter — but that’s not the only thing that stuck out to him. 

“The impact I saw was different,” Fagley said. “I saw a lot of people come together and ask everybody, making sure everyone’s OK. It’s just such a close community out here that hurricanes just bring everyone together even more.”

On Saturday morning, the community came together again to help plant 1,000 sea oats along a three-mile stretch of Holmes Beach. The event was put on by Keep Manatee Beautiful in partnership with the City of Holmes Beach, which donated $5,000 to support re-planting efforts. 

Sea oats help build up and stabilize dunes, which protect the beach from storm surge and erosion. 

“We’ve seen where they weren’t planted in the first place, the water just rushed right through,” Hoffman said. “We’re out here making sure that we build back up the front line of it, so they continue to be a good buffer for us.”

Fagley was among more than 40 volunteers that helped re-plant sea oats on Saturday. He said he felt an obligation to give back to the place he loves and help protect his slice of paradise. 

“I just want to see someone 20 years from now see the same thing I do now,” he Fagley said. “It’s nice to know that what I’m doing is going to be beneficial for keeping everything safe around here.”

Keep Manatee Beautiful is planning to plant more sea oats on Holmes Beach again in April, ahead of next year’s hurricane season. In the meantime, Hoffman asks that people avoid walking through the dunes and stepping on sea oats.