By Chuck Weber/CBS 12

As the holiday weekend approaches and tourists flock to our area, our beaches are still battered thanks to Hurricane Sandy.

But since the storm passed last month and gave beaches a beating, sand has started to wash back up. Many beaches are now wider, but the height-- or elevation-- of beaches and dunes will take much longer to come back.

"The storm definitely made them more vulnerable, because it did lower the elevation," explained Dan Bates, deputy director of Palm Beach County's Environmental Resources Management department.

"That means when we get high tides like we're having right now, and you get some good-sized waves, or you get one of these Norther (storms) coming in-- it can have additional impacts," said Bates.

Where beaches and dunes are depleted, local cities and counties may step in with emergency restoration projects. Work is already underway at Coral Cove County Park in Tequesta and on Singer Island-- even without a disaster declaration from the federal government.

"FEMA does allow for work that's considered to be critical for infrastructure protection and mitigation, or safety," said Bates. Local governments hope to ultimately receive reimbursement from the feds or the state.

Palm Beach County estimates Sandy caused $24 million in damage to beaches and beach structures on public land. There were millions in additional damage to private seawalls and structures.

"There's still plenty of beach out there," emphasized Bates. "It's just that we're going to have to keep maintaining them over time."

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As tourists return, local beaches recover slowly