Q&A: How are Collier beaches doing after Hurricane Milton? Where can I go shelling?

Hurricane Milton brought several feet of storm surge to Southwest Florida last week, leaving coastal areas flooded. But how does a hurricane impact the beach itself?

Naples Daily News spoke to Collier County Coastal Zone Management Program Manager Andy Miller about how hurricanes affect our local beaches and shells.

Here's our Q&A with Miller.

Q: How do hurricanes impact local beaches?

A: "Hurricanes impact beaches in many ways, wave action and storm surge can cause erosion and destroy dunes and vegetation."

Q: How do hurricanes affect the type of shells that wash up on our beaches?

A : "With the force of any hurricane, wave and currents can carry anything below the water surface, including any types of shells or other marine creatures and vegetation."

Q: Which of our local beaches were impacted the most by Hurricane Milton? Is there anything the county can do to ensure they return to normal?

A: "All our surrounding beaches are impacted by any hurricane that passes close to us. Coastal Zone Management works endlessly to make sure the beaches get cleaned and if necessary, renourished back to a semi normal beach."

Q: How does the county keep our local beaches healthy year-round? Is there certain upkeep that staff have to take care of?

A: "Collier County and the City of Naples rake our public beaches on a regular basis. We also monitor the height and width to ensure any erosion is addressed as needed."

What Collier County beaches are open?

• Bluebill Beach Access
• Clam Pass Park
• Conner Park
• North Gulf Shore Beach Access
• South Marco Beach Access
• Tigertail Beach Park
• Vanderbilt Beach Park

Barefoot Beach Access and Preserve is closed for now .

More: Injured animals taken in by Conservancy of SWFL since Hurricane Milton exceeds Ian number

Now's the time to go shelling

Local shelling Facebook groups have been sharing photos of how many shells have washed up on our beaches. Here's a few places that are covered in shells after Hurricane Milton.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Q&A: How are Collier beaches doing after Hurricane Milton? Where can I go shelling?