As yet another hurricane season approaches, concern is mounting over the condition of the South Jetty at Venice Inlet, which remains heavily damaged from last year's storms. While the North Jetty has reopened, the South Jetty is still in ruins — a situation that continues to alarm residents and business owners who worry about the potential for even greater damage if another hurricane strikes. The South Jetty acts as a vital barrier between the Intracoastal Waterway and nearby neighborhoods. It was battered by hurricanes Helene and Milton last fall. The jetty, which was a favorite for fishing, sightseeing and sunset-watching, now sits crumbled and unstable. Its compromised state has left the surrounding area more vulnerable to storm surge and erosion. "It's a big attraction for the tourists who come here to sit and watch the boats come in and out, and basically this last year our place has just been a turnaround," said Rick Schattauer, dock master at the Crow's Nest Marina and Restaurant. "It's such an instrumental and important part of the area and means a lot to the families," added Joe Pustizzi, a Venice resident who often visited the jetty to watch the sunset. Sarasota County Emergency Management officials are keeping a close eye on the situation as they prepare for the extreme weather. "Both of those storms were 5 to 7 feet of storm surge, and we definitely saw some much higher storm surges down in southern Manasota Key," said Sandy Tapfumaneyi, head of the county's emergency management division. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in charge of the South Jetty repair efforts. The project is a complex, multi-year assignment with a price tag of $100 million. It would include major dredging and replacing the massive boulders that once fortified the jetty. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/sarasotacounty/south-jetty-damage-vulnerability-venice-hurricane-season/67-7c4e976d-5bf5-411f-8e23-56815cc197b1