Passage of the bill was a key legislative priority this year for local, state and federal officials representing Tybee Island.
Act passes key Senate committee:More money for sand at Tybee: U.S. Senate committee advances beach renourishment act
In-depth:As Tybee Island’s federal contract for beach renourishment ends, officials look to what’s next
The Storm Risk Management Act served as a rider on the larger Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (WRDA) – a key measure passed biannually by Congress to “authorize U.S. Army Corps of Engineers activities for flood control, navigation and ecosystem restoration.”
“I have secured bipartisan Senate passage of the Tybee Island Storm Risk Management Act to help protect homes and businesses on Tybee from coastal flooding, storm surge, and high winds,” Sen. Ossoff said in a press release. “I thank (Chatham) Chairman (Chester) Ellis and (Tybee) Mayor (Shirley) Sessions for their help as I’ve built bipartisan support in the Senate for this bill.”
Earlier reporting:Sen. Ossoff: Tybee Beach renourishments funds key to protect ‘precious natural resources’
Earlier reporting:Tybee beach days a federal priority as U.S. Senate considers renourishment proposal
Beach renourishment projects, which consist of pumping sand from an off-shore borrow site onto Tybee’s shores, have helped reinforce the low-lying barrier island’s coastline for decades. Since 1974, Tybee Island has worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to periodically build up its receding shores that often fall victim to storms, hurricane and other inclement weather.
Rising sea levels and increasing storm surge forecast even greater threats to the island community and its natural resources. Tide gauge data at Fort Pulaski shows that Tybee Island has experienced 10 inches of sea level rise since 1935. Data also indicates the sea has been rising at a rate of 3 millimeters a year for the last 75 years, which amounts to about a foot a century.
Renourishment projects, which will include reinforcing Tybee’s sand dunes, typically cost between $10 million and $18 million. Federal dollars have typically covered around 60% of the costs.
Renourishment, though a costly ongoing commitment, has made visible progress, according to officials, and Tybee continues to ramp up other efforts to increase funding for the key ingredient. Local leaders say they are looking into ways to funnel more local dollars into the projects as well as they await the federal decision.
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