Crews clear large wooden debris from Crescent Beach

CRESCENT BEACH, Fla. — Crews with St. Johns County were in Crescent Beach on Monday morning, working to clear out large chunks of wood and debris left behind from Hurricane Nicole.

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After the storm hit on Nov. 10, Rosa Laranjeira had to take a one-month hiatus from her daily fishing trips to Crescent Beach.

“It was a disaster,” she recalled. “The debris, palm trees, all the things that [were] coming down,” she described. “A lot of garbage, a lot of everything, so we couldn’t even get in.”

Now, she and her husband are back at it.

“You catch a lot of fish!” she happily exclaimed.

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Efforts from St. Johns County are also underway to clear all tossed debris, and hopefully get rid of sights that neighbors say they’ve grown used to: wooden planks and other pieces broken off staircases, in piles, and sticking out of the sand.

“They [are] trying to clean up,” Laranjeira acknowledged. “So, it’s coming together now, but it was bad in the beginning.”

Crews arrived at Crescent Beach at 9 a.m. with their equipment. If you spot them, just keep in mind that space in the parking lot may be limited. The equipment is meant for crews to get as much debris as possible.

The county is also advising homeowners to identify any debris they may wish to keep, so crews can avoid sweeping them up.

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As the cleanup efforts continue in Crescent Beach, some areas will need more time to recover.

“We used to go to Flagler, but now, there’s no access to the beach,” Laranjeira pointed out.

A lot of private boardwalks from Flagler Beach to Crescent Beach have been smashed in, and contractors will be on the beaches piecing those together in the days and months ahead.

“[A clean beach] is good for the children. [It does] a lot of good for the people to come over and enjoy the beach,” Laranjeira added. “Because before, there was no beach.”

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