Impact of Hurricane Beryl on Texas beach-dune systems: Insights from drone-based LiDAR and multispectral surveys

The Texas Gulf Coast has faced significant erosion due to multiple storms, with Hurricane Beryl being the most recent. We assessed its impact on beach-foredune complexes at six locations along the Texas coast: West Galveston, Follet's Island, Sargent Beach, Matagorda Peninsula, Mustang Island, and North Padre Island. Using drone-based LiDAR and multispectral imaging surveys, we observed an average foredune elevation erosion of up to 4.3 m, with sand transported as far as 2.5 km inland. Hurricane Beryl caused substantial local erosion, particularly at Sargent Beach, where nearly all of the dunes were destroyed due to inundation, overwash, and scarping. In contrast, Follet's Island has a restored dune system; however, a large portion of the sand from these dunes was washed away. Further north, West Galveston Island also experienced damage, primarily affecting the coppice dunes and interdunal troughs. The Matagorda Peninsula, located in the left front quadrant of the hurricane eye, showed relatively minor changes. Mustang Island and North Padre Island also experienced erosion. Sargent Beach, Follet's Island, and West Galveston experienced higher wind gusts and storm surges, leading to severe erosion. This study highlighted how vegetation cover, beach width, and dune height influenced erosion. Sargent Beach and Follet's Island experienced the most damage due to their lesser vegetation cover and narrower beaches, while North Padre Island and Mustang Island were less affected because of their higher dunes and a less direct angle of the storm's impact. This study emphasizes the impact of storm surges and local factors on erosion.