ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Truckloads of sand came in and out of Old A1A Friday. All of it is going toward reinforcing the road to prevent more from crumbling into the sea.
The extent of the damage goes on for miles.
Barry Martin has to travel down Old A1A every week for work. He said this is the first time he’s ever seen it this way.
“When I first came out here I walked out to the edge of the road and there was no sand in sight,” said Martin.
A sign warning drivers about severe erosion now sits at the south end of the road.
Over the last few days a powerful nor’easter wiped out up to 30 feet of sand along the 42 mile beach, at least one home had to be condemned, forcing county commissioners to declare a state of emergency.
St. Johns County spokesman Michael Ryan sent Action News this statement:
“This perfect storm of circumstances that included lunar tides, high waves, and elevated winds caused one of the most significant erosion events St. Johns County has experienced in years with a loss of beach ranging from three to 30 feet along the entire coastline. Our crews have worked around the clock and will continue to do so as long as necessary to ensure the beaches, nearby structures, and adjacent roads are safe for our residents and visitors.”
On Old A1A crews are doing whatever they can to shore up the road but it’ll eventually have to be repaved.
The declaration of state of emergency gives those homeowners whose properties are in imminent danger time to apply for a permit.
The good news is that none of the homes along Old A1A were damaged.
WJAX
