Beryl batters Riverside, damages man's pier

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A private pier that stood for years as a landmark along River Boulevard in Riverside is reduced almost to twigs along the St. Johns River.

It survived rough river waters when the tropical storm made landfall Sunday night. But it finally broke into pieces Monday. John Hurtubise owns the private pier and the 100-year-old house across the street.

Not covered by insurance, he considers the pier a $15,000 loss. But it could've been worse. His 1955 first generation Thunderbird and 1974 Chrysler Imperial got wet when waves came crashing into his garage door guarded overnight with sand bags.

Hurtubise said, "The wind was blowing really hard I thought I better go down and check."

A couple of Shop Vacs took care of the few inches of water that did seep inside the garage. A few fans and a dehumidifier are all that's required now to dry out.

Best of all, the classic cars survived without any damage.