TAMPA, Fla. — If you ended up with beach sand on your property following Hurricane Helene, local officials are urging you to put it back — responsibly.
"Many barrier island residents and businesses had unprecedented amounts of beach sand deposited onto their properties during Hurricane Helene," Pinellas County officials said in a statement.
Officials are urging residents to return "clean sand" to the beach above the high tide (high water) line. That means sand that doesn't have stains, odors or include debris.
"You must not place it over dune plants, turtle nests, storm debris or construction," officials said.
If the sand doesn't meet that criteria, it could still be returned to the beach, but only if permission is granted from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. FDEP can be reached at 840-245-204 or CCCL@FloridaDEP.gov.
The same placement restrictions apply after permission is granted, and officials said failure to obey those rules could lead to civil penalties.
Pinellas County officials also shared these restrictions:
- Do not put sand in your trash.
- Do not place sand in any right-of-way or push it onto the road.
- Do not attempt to clear public roads.
The Pinellas County Public Works Department is working to gain authorization from FDEP to screen clean sand to remove debris and return it to the beach.