·        Effects from past weather events

·         The best illustration of how the coast of Texas is continually subjected to the erosive forces of wind and water is the reshaping of our gulf and bay shorelines produced directly, and dramatically, by tropical storms and hurricanes.

·         The September 8, 1900 hurricane that struck Galveston Island, and surrounding areas, not only killed an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 persons, but it also swept away several city blocks closest to the Gulf. Damage estimates from NOAA (adjusted for inflation) were $928,160,793.

·         Developed areas of Texas have been spared from major devastation caused by hurricanes since Hurricane Alicia in 1983.

Beach erosion on West Galveston Island was analyzed following Alicia in a report written by Robert Morton and Jeffrey G. Paine of the University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology in 1985, entitled “Beach and Vegetation Line Changes at Galveston Island, Texas.” Some points from the report:

Ø      Alicia caused substantial landward retreat of both the shoreline and the vegetation line. Retreat of the vegetation line ranged from 20 to 145 feet and averaged 80 feet.

Ø      Surface elevations were lowered by as much as 4.5 feet.

Ø      More than 2,000,000 cubic yards — or about 200,000 dump trucks full — were eroded from West Galveston Island by Alicia.

Ø      Hurricane Alicia (1983) caused more beach erosion than did Hurricane Allen (1980), but less than Hurricane Carla (1961).

Ø      Historical records show that Galveston beachfront property will receive minor storm damage every few years and extreme storm damage about every 20 years.

·         Following catastrophic flooding which resulted from Tropical Storm Frances near Galveston, the county, in cooperation with the General Land Office, installed erosion protection structures along the coast called geotubes.

·        Erosion rates

·         The upper coast of Texas, near Galveston and Brazoria counties, suffers from erosion rates of more than 10 feet per year.

·         Some areas next to navigational channels have areas of accretion, where the shoreline is growing, but it is at the expense of the beach on the other side of the channel, which will have high erosion rates.

·         Areas along developed shorelines such as West Galveston Island, Bolivar Peninsula, and Follet’s Island have average erosion rates of five feet per year.

·         Areas on the southern Texas coast, with the exception of some areas around major navigational channels, have stable or accreting beaches due to the littoral drift meeting and providing sand from both directions to the those beaches.

·        Cost estimates on erosion prevention measures

·         Large-scale beach nourishment projects cost $3 million per mile. The unprotected portion of West Galveston Island (past Seawall) is more than 15 miles long.

·         Texas has lagged behind other coastal states, because Texas is one of the last developed shorelines in the country. The magnitude of the erosion was not as evident prior to development.

·         Texas has received less than 1 percent of beach nourishment funds from the federal government.  Florida received 32 percent and New Jersey receives 22 percent.

·         Geotubes cost more than $1 million per mile, and also may require beach nourishment and periodic maintenance such as sand recovering and patching.

·         CEPRA (Coastal Erosion and Planing Response Act) projects received funding requests in excess of $150 million in 2002. 

·        CEPRA Program

·         During the CEPRA program’s four-year history it has funded almost 100 projects and studies.

·         The first cycle (2000- 2001 biennium) of projects under CEPRA exceeded $28 million after leveraging the $15 million in allocated state funds with federal, local, and other projects.

·         CEPRA has funded two large-scale projects at South Padre Island. The eroding area has stabilized after these two projects, which are done every two years. If the project could not be funded in Cycle 3, the beach would likely begin to erode once again.

·         Through CEPRA projects, more than 45 miles of critically eroding areas have been protected and restored.

·         CEPRA funding was reduced by approximately half from the $15 million appropriated in Cycles 1 (FY 00-01) and Cycle 2 (FY 02-03) to $7.23 million in Cycle 3 (FY 04-05).

·        CEPRA will be required to work harder to leverage funds with greater federal funds to maintain the gains made in Cycles 1 and 2.

·         The CEPRA program will be working to leverage more federal funding in the future by participating with local governments and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for feasibility studies, which will qualify the state for beach nourishment projects in the magnitude of tens of millions of dollars.

·         The CEPRA program will be working to leverage more federal FEMA funds from hazard mitigation grants.

·        Storm Damage

·         According to NOAA records, of the 30 costliest tropical weather events (Tropical cyclones such as tropical waves, tropical depressions, tropical storms, or hurricanes) five have directly impacted Texas.

·         Three of those events were not even hurricanes, but were tropical storms.

Ø      In 1989, Tropical Storm Allison caused $500 million in damages to upper Texas coast communities. This storm ranks 19^th costliest.

Ø      Tropical Storm Frances also caused $500 million in damages, however, both Texas and Louisiana sustained damage.  Brazoria, Galveston, and Harris counties were declared federal disaster areas.

Ø      In 1979, Tropical Storm Claudette caused $400 million in damages on the Texas coast.  Coincidentally, Hurricane Claudette recently caused damage to areas directly affected by TS Claudette in 1979.

·        Hurricane Alicia ranks 9^th most costly tropical cyclone event in U.S. mainland history.

·         In 1999, Hurricane Bret struck the Texas coast at Padre Island.  Although considered a “small hurricane” by NOAA, reports from Port Mansfield Pass suggested that three to five feet of water penetrated this coastal location. Several cuts were observed in the dunes surrounding Padre Island. The largest of these, near mile marker 50 near the eye's passage, was mistaken by aircrews inspecting the damage as the Mansfield Pass.  Substantial beach erosion was reported near Port Mansfield.

·         No category 5 hurricane has struck the Texas coast.

·         Damage estimates to public infrastructure and housing come from Department of Emergency Management and Federal Emergency Management Association whose officials tour damage stricken areas with local officials.

·         There are two types of federal disaster declarations: one for housing (private individuals) and one for public assistance (infrastructure including CEPRA projects).  For Hurricane Claudette, Texas Governor Rick Perry requested a private disaster declaration on July 16, 2003.