By Anna M. Phillips, Times Staff Writer Anna M. PhillipsTampa Bay Times In Print: Thursday, July 12, 2012

The damage to Pinellas County beaches wrought by Tropical Storm Debby could cost as much as $20 million to repair, county officials announced Wednesday.

Exactly how much sand was washed away remains to be tallied. But the visuals of eroded dunes and waves crashing where beachgoers used to plant their chairs suggest that reshaping the shoreline will be a costly endeavor.

However Sisyphean the task of constantly feeding new sand to eroding beaches may seem, county officials said it is one that must continue if Pinellas is to attract tourists and protect its residents from storms.

"People expect to see the beach when they come here on vacation and that's going to be a priority for us, it has to be," County Commissioner John Morroni said Wednesday during a Tourist Development Council meeting.

County officials hope federal and state governments will bear the majority of the renourishment costs, said Andy Squires, the coastal manager for Pinellas County.

"It could potentially be done this calendar year if we get federal and state funding," Squires said. "If not, renourishment could take months or years."

Most of the county's beach restoration projects are funded 60 percent by the federal government, 20 percent from the state, and 20 percent from the county. But the crackdown on congressional earmarks traditionally the county has relied on U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young to bring home the sand and the recession have made it more difficult to get aid.

Pinellas must compete for money against other counties, many of which also suffered from Debby. If the county does not get outside aid, it could dip into its reserve fund or use money that was allocated for beach repair before Debby's arrival.

Plans already were under way to restore certain beaches, such as Sand Key, where construction has begun, and Treasure Island's Sunset and Sunshine beaches, which were scheduled for repair in 2013.

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Repairing Pinellas beaches damaged by Tropical Storm Debby may cost up to $20 million