Posted on February 11, 2026
TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — Pinellas County’s massive beach nourishment effort is now complete, restoring miles of shoreline damaged during the 2024 hurricane season and giving coastal communities renewed hope heading into the next storm cycle.
The $125 million project began in September, with crews pumping and placing sand along the county’s beaches to replace what was washed away by repeated storm erosion. County leaders marked the milestone by placing the final loads of sand on Treasure Island — one of the hardest-hit areas after hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Officials say the work is about more than appearances. The rebuilt shoreline and dunes are designed to act as a natural buffer, potentially reducing flooding and structural damage during future storms.
“If we had this infrastructure here when Helene came, the flooding damage would have been significantly less. So this is critically important to everything that is being rebuilt now.” Pinellas County Commissioner Kathleen Peters said.
Treasure Island hotel owner Craig Rothschild still vividly remembers Hurricane Helene.
“We had water up to right here on the building,” he said, describing a roughly 36-inch water line inside ground-floor rooms. “Every stick of furniture was floating, and we had to cut into all of the rooms just below the light fixtures.”
Rothschild had purchased the hotel in 2021 and completed a full renovation — only to start over again after the storm.
“It was definitely a defeated feeling, but you have to stay positive and figure out how to get it done,” he said.
He reopened the property in May 2025, restoring it in what he calls “old Florida with a modern twist.” He believes the rebuilt beach could make a real difference.
“I think it’s going to protect us — especially the Roth Hotel. We get water from both sides, and if it can keep the water out from one side, it would really help this area,” he said.
The nourishment effort was funded primarily through Pinellas County’s tourist development tax, along with a $13 million state grant. In addition to widening the beach, crews constructed protective dunes and planted sea grass. The vegetation will anchor the sand and reduce erosion once its roots fully establish, which officials expect by summer.
Tourism struggled across parts of the barrier islands in 2025 as communities rebuilt and visitors stayed away following the storms. Rothschild says he is finally seeing signs of recovery.
“Vacationers are starting to come back,” he said. “Last year was very difficult — a slow year. I think everyone was just trying to get over the hurricane. We’re really hoping for a strong 2026.”
With the sand in place and dunes planted, county leaders say their next focus is bringing visitors back — and ensuring the shoreline is better prepared for whatever the next hurricane season brings.
