Brevard's initial assessment of Dorian beach erosion damages complete

MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla. – Brevard County government officials said Thursday that the initial damage assessment of beaches post-Hurricane Dorian was completed. 

Leaders reiterated it will be in the millions, but not close to the $25 million in lost sand after hurricanes Matthew and Irma.

Additionally, the county said the previously restored dunes did their job of protecting beachfront property.

[RELATED: Dorian erodes an estimated 'several million dollars of sand' in Brevard | Pictures, videos show impact of Hurricane Dorian in Central Florida]

Roger Pszonowsky, of the Sea Turtle Preservation Society, said there's still plenty of sand on the beach and still plenty of sea turtle nests.

The turtles are the little victims of beach erosion.

And while Dorian's waves did expose eggs and cause premature hatchlings, Pszonowsky said it's still a healthy nesting season.

This time of the season is when most of the baby turtles are hatching.

"Those nests that were mid-beach were probably washed away. Any that were up in the dunes probably got sizable amounts of wetness and rain but probably will be OK," Pszonowsky said.

[MORE: Find a sea turtle ashore after Dorian? Here's what to do | Here's how to protect eggs during Florida's sea turtle nesting season]

The hurricane, paired with a new moon cycle that began Friday, created higher than usual tides, but the county credited Dorian's curve to the northeast for preventing the storm from doing more damage.

A guest Thursday at Hightower Beach Park in Satellite Beach found the erosion to be significant but not the worst he's seen.　

"It's pretty beat up," Brandon Newman, of Melbourne, said. "It's definitely a good 4, 5 feet lower than it should be."