Flagler County beaches face 'critical erosion' following Tropical Storm Ian

Frank Fernandez, The Daytona Beach News-Journal

October 6, 2022 at 5:07 PM·3 min read

A man walks on Flagler Beach near an eroded dune that was supporting the boardwalk area, part of which is blocked off with orange and yellow safety gear, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. The dune was damaged during Tropical Storm Ian's fury.

Flagler County is determining how much sand was lost from its dunes due to Tropical Storm Ian while working with other agencies to protect A1A in Flagler Beach, according to a press release.

“There is a lot of critical erosion, and it is getting worse in the days following the storm,” County Engineer Faith Alkhatib stated in the release. “There is a lot of coordination going on as we assess the situation. It will take some time – maybe two weeks – and we will have a better idea of where we stand.”

A section of southbound A1A south of South 14th Street in Flagler Beach remains closed.

Flagler Beach pier damaged again: Tropical Storm Ian rips off the end of the iconic Flagler Beach wooden pier

Daytona Beach Shores pier damaged: Ian's aftermath: Storms keep shortening Daytona Beach Shores' iconic Sunglow Pier

Ian's trail of destruction: Tropical Storm Ian leaves path of destruction in Volusia and Flagler counties

A large hole in the southbound lane of A1A in Flagler Beach closed parts of the road south of State Road 100 Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, following Tropical Storm Ian.

The hole opened up after Ian’s heavy rains impacted a stormwater drainage structure in the road, according to an email from Peyten Maki, a public information specialist for the Florida Department of Transportation. Crews completed repairs on Tuesday, she wrote.

On Thursday, a large new patch of asphalt covered the road where the hole had been.

However, the southbound lane of A1A was still closed at South 14th Street because there's a depression in the road 300 feet south of the original hole, according to Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney.

"The Army Corps of Engineers is surveying the portion of the beach where its federalized project is scheduled to begin in 2023, which is the 2.6 miles between South 6th Street to South 28th Street," the release stated.

“FDOT is looking at a combination of sand and rock revetment to protect State Road A1A,” Alkhatib said. “They are looking at the area between North 19th Street and North 23rd Street. We are also working with FDEP on emergency sand for Flagler Beach and other locations.”

Sightseers on the boardwalk area in Flagler Beach stand above the dune that's been eroded away just north of the Funky Pelican Restaurant and the iconic pier, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. The damage was caused by Tropical Storm Ian.

Bacteria levels safe in ocean waters

Testing was negative for unsafe bacteria levels in the waters off Flagler County’s beaches, according to a county release.

“Our beach sampling that was performed on Oct. 3 did not show elevated levels of enterococci bacteria at the four sites that were sampled,” Florida Department of Health-Flagler Environmental Administrator John Bey stated in the release. “We went through a few tide cycles from the time of the storm to when the beach was sampled, so any likely elevated levels of bacteria could have cleared out. This is good news for Flagler County.”

Bey said in a phone interview that the samples were taken from Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, 6400 N. Oceanshore Blvd., in northern Flagler County; Varn Park, 3665 N. Oceanshore Blvd., north of Beverly Beach; just south of the Flagler Beach pier; and at Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area, 3100 S. Oceanshore Blvd. in Flagler Beach.

Enterococci bacteria comes from the small intestines of humans and animals and can cause gastrointestinal illness if ingested as well as rashes or infections if it comes in contact with skin, Bey said. Extreme rainfall can increase bacterial levels, he said.

“We typically have excellent water quality,” Bey said.

Flagler County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord cautioned residents about entering the water due to debris.

“Our primary job is to keep everyone safe, so we have to take this stance,” Lord stated in the release. “We know there is debris out there, and there may be for a while. We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

FEMA application help

Sen. Marco Rubio's staff will be in Flagler Beach Friday to help residents apply for FEMA assistance, according to a tweet from Flagler County Emergency Management.

Assistance will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Flagler Beach Senior Center, 700 S. Daytona Ave.

Residents should bring their Social Security number; insurance information; damage, including pictures if possible; and household and banking information.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Flagler County still assessing damage caused by Tropical Storm Ian

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