Dock assessment, repairs begin in Fernandina after Hurricane Ian damage

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — Damage assessment started on Thursday at the Fernandina Harbor Marina after the remnants of Hurricane Ian left their mark.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

This comes at the same time some street improvement projects will also be kicking off, which will lead to some closures and a lot of movement in the area.

“It’s one of the few things you have to put up with, is the threat of hurricanes,” said neighbor Roland Keiffer.

But Keiffer says the repairs and projects won’t get in the way of his daily visits.

“I just enjoy the marina, enjoy the ambiance of the whole area,” he said. “It’s what brought us down here from the southwest a few years ago.”

Hurricane Ian Relief: Neighbors in Need

These docks reopened in 2020 after Hurricane Matthew damaged them in 2016. And now, Hurricane Ian has left its own mark.

“I don’t know what extent the damage was this time,” he pointed out. “I don’t think it was that bad.”

The city is now working to put a price on any damages and figure out whether they can be covered by emergency assistance funds from either the state or the federal government.

The City of Fernandina will be sending damage and labor costs to Nassau County, which will send those to state and federal governments to find out whether they reach the threshold of qualifying for public assistance.

At the same time, Parking Lot A will be closed for the next four to six weeks for a street improvement project.

Mayor Michael Lednovich tells Action News Jax the project will widen lanes on the front street and create a turnout to nearby Alachua Street so trucks can park there, and not block Front Street.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

“It goes with the territory,” Keiffer acknowledged. “You have to have progress and things have to be repaired periodically, so we just put up with it.”