Rain causes sand erosion near SR A1A in Flagler Beach

Area needs permanent repair after Hurricane Matthew damage

FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. – A stretch of State Road A1A in Flagler Beach was repaired Wednesday after heavy rains washed away a portion of the road, Florida Department of Transportation officials said.

Severe weather caused some sand erosion on A1A in the same area in front of Martins Steakhouse on South Ocean Shore Boulevard where Hurricane Matthew washed away part of the road.

“There was no damage to the roadway lanes,” FDOT public information specialist Jessica Ottaviano said. “This stretch of road is in temporary condition, where crews are monitoring the area for any needed maintenance until the permanent plan is complete.”

The sand eroded Tuesday was refilled by Wednesday afternoon, Ottaviano told News 6.

Flagler Beach officials said that every time there is heavy rain, there could be issues until a more permanent plan is in place for the area along A1A.

City manager Larry Newsom said they've had at least five washouts from the rain, which have been repaired with sand.

"Hopefully, we can limited those by getting more vegetation out there," Newsom said. "Plus, we can have more of our dune access points fixed, so people aren't walking down and creating those weak points."

FDOT has invested $12 million to fixing the dunes along Flagler Beach.

"The dunes are the only things between the Atlantic Ocean and A1A, which is (FDOT's) roadway," Newsom said. "That's why they're putting money towards dunes."

Newsom said it will be more than a year before any permanent construction beings.

In the meantime, the dunes will continue to wash out, and the city will fill them back up, Newsom said.

See more photos of the erosion here.


About the Author

Loren Korn is a native Texan who joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2014. She was born and raised in Houston and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Journalism.

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