News

Actions

Norfolk homeowners will soon see less coastal storm damage to their homes

Posted at 6:26 PM, May 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-19 21:07:11-04

NORFOLK, Va. - A 34.5 million dollar storm damage replenishment project will be completed in the Willoughby section of Norfolk by Friday night.

It's all in effort to protect homeowners from coastal storm damage.

Norfolk District U.S Army Corps of Engineers have been working for 12 weeks.

They've placed thousands of pounds of bags on the beach to make it 60 feet wider.

It'll also create a five-feet-tell slope above the water.

The additional sand will be a barrier between homes and the shoreline to reduce erosion and storm damage.

The project manager told News 3 this project was put off in the past, but needed to happen to avoid any further problems.

"We did a little work from time to time but we just got to the point--it generated a lot of interest again after Hurricane Isabel back in 2003 and then more recently recent coastal storms that really pushed the project and get it going, especially Hurricane Sandy back in 2012," said project manager, Robert Pretlow.

Pretlow also said this is the largest single storm damage reduction project ever in Norfolk.

All of the work equipment will be off the beach by Memorial Day Weekend.