Dennis - official notices and info

Debris removal is currently underway along Walton County beaches. Crowder-Gulf was hired to remove the debris from the beach by the County Commission on July 12 and they are underway with clean-up. They must be completed with three passes by the end of August.

Six walk-on beach accesses remain open to the public after damages from Hurricane Dennis. A plan to repair additional dune walkovers is underway and boardwalk repairs are scheduled to begin with regional beach accesses by the end of this week.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has issued the first emergency order for reconstruction efforts. Similar to Hurricane Ivan, certain activities will not require a state FDEP permit; however ALL activities require a permit from Walton County. Individuals wanting to conduct individual activities must contact the Planning and Building Department at (850) 267-1955.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has also issued a permit for a one time beach scraping project. This permit is for all Walton County beaches and will be conducted by Chandler Construction and Ammons Dozier. They have begun in the Blue Mountain and Seagrove areas and are moving as expeditiously as possible. A resolution was passed by the Board of Commissioners requesting additional scrapings from the FDEP and we are awaiting their response. If additional scrapings are authorized, Walton County will move quickly to re-scrape all areas.

DEP OPENS FIELD OFFICE IN WALTON COUNTY -OFFICE PROVIDES DEDICATED SERVICE TO HELP HURRICANE DENNIS RECOVERY

SANTA ROSA BEACH - The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
today opened a field office in Walton County to assist with the recovery
efforts from Hurricane Dennis. Staffed by DEP employees, the office
will provide emergency field permitting support for area residents and
assist local governments by providing technical assistance with
hurricane recovery efforts.

The DEP field office is located at:
South Walton Courthouse Annex
31 Coastal Centre Blvd., Suite 100
Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459
Telephone: 850-267-1955
Fax: 850-622-9133

Under the 60-day Emergency Final Order signed by DEP on July 11, 2005,
residents and local governments in Monroe, Bay, Franklin, Wakulla, Gulf,
Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton and Okaloosa counties can repair or restore
the following structures to the authorized configuration without a DEP
permit:

* Public roads, utilities, and beach access ramps.

* Components of major structures such as windows, roof sheathing,
studs and roof trusses.

* Minor ancillary structures and service utilities associated
with existing habitable structures, such as access stairways, stair
landings and on-site utilities.

The Emergency Final Order authorizes local governments to issue permits
for activities seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line to
private and public property owners to temporarily secure structures,
remove safety hazards and prevent further damage or collapse of
foundations. Property owners should contact the building department of
their local government to obtain permits.

A contract was awarded on Wednesday, July 27 to Crowder Gulf to
remove debris from eleven of the fifteen coastal dune lakes in Walton
County after Hurricane Dennis. The contract requires the work to be
done within sixty days. The work will begin in Little Redfish Lake
because of the septic tank debris blown into that lake by the storm.
Other lakes to be cleaned are Stallworth Lake, Allen Lake, Oyster Lake,
Draper Lake, Big Redfish Lake, Alligator Lake, Western Lake, Eastern
Lake, Deer Lake, and Camp Creek Lake.


The contract stipulates removal and disposal of all debris on the surface
or visible from the surface of the water, and up to and including the high
water line of the specified coastal dune lakes.

Residents living on or near coastal dune lakes should be aware of
Crowder Gulf workers operating in the lakes to clear the debris and not
impede their efforts. They will be clearing debris that was deposited by
the storm up to the high water mark around the dune lakes, but will not
be allowed to proceed further than the high water line of the lakes onto
private property.

Because of the urgency of this cleanup, the workers will begin work
early each day. They are authorized to work during visible daylight
hours only, and may work seven days a week to accomplish the job.

The coastal dune lakes are a globally rare natural resource. The
Coastal Dune Lake Advisory Board appointed by the Board of County
Commissioners has provided debris removal guidelines as a part of the
contract to emphasize the high priority of protecting these lakes. The
guidelines provide for minimal access points to reduce disturbance to
shoreline vegetation, minimizing fuel and oil leaks from machinery, and
storage of the removed debris away from the shorelines.

Walton County's contracted debris removal company, Crowder Gulf,
plans to begin the second pass for roadside debris removal on
Monday, August 1. Crowder Gulf began on July 13 with the first pickups
on highways and roads south of the Choctawhatchee Bay.


Residents of south Walton County who are still clearing storm debris
should place it at the roadside by August 1 for pick-up.

Debris placed by the roadside should be segregated into three piles:
vegetative matter such as tree limbs and branches, construction debris
such as boards and broken concrete, and metal -- appliances, metal
lawn furniture. This will make the pick-up more efficient.

Beach debris pickup is making good progress, but somewhat slower
than the roadside pick-up. This is because of the amount of debris
deposited on the beach by the storm, and the difficulty of removing it
from the beach without creating further erosion problems. The workers
have completed the first pass to gather the debris into piles on the
beach for efficient pickup. Homeowners who have kept storm debris in
place for insurance adjustment purposes should get their debris to
these piles as soon as possible. The crews are now working from west
to east with equipment to pick up the piles and remove them to the
disposal area.

Beachgoers are urged to remain clear of all equipment and work crews
on the beach -- for their own safety, as well as to allow the workers to
complete their work in a safe and timely manner. Extra beach patrol
personnel have been approved by the Board of County Commissioners
to help ensure the safety of the public as this work progresses.

South Walton citizens with questions regarding roadside or beach
debris removal may call the Finance Office at 892-8470. The Finance
Office is managing the contracts for debris removal. Residents living
north of the Choctawhatchee Bay should contact the Public Works
Division at 892-8108 or 892-8109 to arrange for pick-up of storm
debris. Debris north of the Choctawhatchee Bay will be picked up by
county public works employees.

Hurricane Dennis report by Florida State DEP:

http://bcs.dep.state.fl.us/reports/dennis.pdf

Excerpt:

The entire coast of Walton County sustained major beach and dune erosion (condition IV) and major damage to numerous structures from the impact of Hurricane Dennis. The erosion impact was comparable to the impact of Hurricanes Eloise (1975), Opal (1995), and Ivan (2004). The impact of Dennis exacerbated the severe erosion conditions which had not recovered from last year.

Major structural damage was sustained along Walton County?s coast and was related to storm surge and waves undermining dwellings supported on foundations that do not conform to current building code standards. Major damage to nonhabitable understructure enclosures and appurtenant structures was also due to storm surge and waves. Wind damage to structures was not observed. In addition, many older dwelling
structures that are located at the top of the steep, eroded dune bluff are in imminent danger of structural damage as the soil beneath the concrete slab foundations slips down the unstable slope. Along several areas, the dune bluff recession leaves many pile supported dwellings sited on the beach.

Erosion now threatens the upland access and utility connections to these gulf-front properties, as well as the upland public infrastructure. Dana Beach (R116-R119) and Rosemary Beach (R119-R121) were critically eroded and could have been damaged more had the underlying peat strata not
been present.

A total of 11 single-family dwellings and seven nonhabitable major structures (six swimming pools and one garage) were destroyed. All these structures were sited seaward of the established CCCL. Another 13 single-family dwellings and 2 multifamily dwellings sustained major damage to their nonconforming foundations. These structures were also sited seaward of the CCCL. Additionally, 25 dwellings supported on nonconforming foundations are in imminent danger of structural damage as the soil beneath the concrete slab foundations slips down the unstable slope of the eroded dune bluff. In addition, a total of 19 habitable structures sustained moderate to major damage to nonhabitable understructure enclosures. Also, 400 feet of retaining walls were destroyed or sustained major damage.