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LUKE JOHNSON/STAFF

Kathy Popper walks along some erosion at Sunset Beach in Treasure Island.

LUKE JOHNSON/STAFF

"Before Debby, the beach was already narrow," said Ping Wang, from the University of South Florida. "It took away 20 feet. However, 20 feet was all that it had."

By KATE BRADSHAW | Tribune staff Published: January 08, 2013 Updated: January 08, 2013 - 12:00 AM

While not a full-blown hurricane, Tropical Storm Debby still gutted stretches of the Pinellas County coastline and created financial problems for an area whose economy is highly dependent on beach tourism.

Sunset Beach, an eclectic, close-knit community tucked into Treasure Island's out-of-the-way southern tip, was among the Pinellas beaches that saw the worst of the late-June storm. As Debby made landfall north of Cedar Key, storm surge and waves had already eaten their way through the beach and were working on the dunes here.

Months later, the county is still not sure if it can restore Sunset Beach to what it once was.

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Pinellas beaches still recovering from Tropical Storm Debby