Tropical Storm Cindy takes toll on area beaches and wildlife – WJHG-TV

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Tropical Storm Cindy blew through the Panhandle causing heavy flooding and wind damage. Local beaches and even some wildlife also took a hit from the storm.

On Thursday things seemed back to normal after Tropical Storm Cindy blew past the coast, but she left her mark on area beaches.

"Erosion is a part of it. Sometimes we'll lose beach and during other times of the year depending on the tides and storms when they hit, sometimes it actually adds to the beach," Brian Addison, manager at St. Andrews State Park said.

Park rangers at Saint Andrews State Park say the storm caused heavy erosion. They say the park's jetties made it worse.

"It creates a swell or an eddy down there so not only do you have the impact from the surge or the swell itself," Addison said, "but it gets in there and it can enhance the erosion."

The park is no stranger to beach renourishment projects. Last winter the Army Corps of Engineers helped restore the beach.

"The fact that they need to put the sand somewhere closest to where they're dredging at so they just put it back in our beach here," Addison said.

The storm also took a toll on the wildlife on the beach. Two out of three sea turtle nests were washed out at St. Andrews. In other areas of Panama City Beach, the storm washed over 9 other sea turtle nests.

"Washed over means that the surf came on to the beach, but our stakes that we mark off are still in tact," Nancy Evou with the St. Andrews Bay Resource Management Association said.

Officials with the St. Andrews Bay Resource Management Association say they're rarely allowed to relocate eggs because of a storm.

"Unless we actually see them exposed and the nest is being washed away then we are allowed to collect the eggs and rebury them," Evou said.

Although Cindy has moved away, rangers say they hope visitors will remain safe near the water. "We're hoping that the water conditions will slowly improve and come down from the double red flags," Addison said.

Representatives with the St. Andrews Bay Resource Management Association say it's important for visitors to not disturb sea turtle nests. They say if people notice any turtles hatching to call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

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Tropical Storm Cindy takes toll on area beaches and wildlife - WJHG-TV

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