For those of you who don’t know what the west coast of Florida is like normally – the water is quiet. Nobody comes here to surf. The beaches are wide and often shallow a good ways out. At Coquina Beach which I pass going to and from work every day, there is plenty of room for people to spread out with their blankets, umbrellas and gear. There are long concrete breakwaters (kind of like piers) that protect the beach sand which the communities regularly pay big bucks to have replenished. Here is a  video of Bradenton Beach experiencing Hurrican Debbie.  I was at a beach access that used to have a bridge over the dunes before the waves washed it away. The beach is totally underwater and the waves actually flooded the roadway in some areas. Tides were 2 – 4 feet higher than usual.