Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Other Damage in Flagler

November 25-December 1, 2022                                     Most Recent Posts:
Gamble Rogers State Park  Site 49                        Gamble on the River Side
Flagler Beach, Florida                                       Evacuation with GREAT Friends


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In my previous post, I mentioned I’d developed  two daily rituals – a morning walk through the woods over to the beach to then walk along the ocean and  an evening walk through the same woods to the river basin for the sunset.

There were never many people on the beach but on Friday there was a lone surfer and what I assume was his family.  They were there under the cloudy skies that had become a daily fixture.


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Clouds do make for beautiful skies with the waves below.

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And they do the same thing with the sunset on the tranquil waters of the river basin.


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One morning I walked 4 miles through the neighborhoods to the park.  It was sad to see the loss of property caused by the hurricane’s flooding.   Streets were lined with it.


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Traffic from the state park is being rerouted through this neighborhood because of the damage to Highway A1A which along with the pier was already damaged from Ian when Nicole hit.

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This picture is from Flagler Live just over two weeks ago.  I was shocked to find out that I actually could get to and from the park after seeing this.  I expected the park to be closed due to lack of access and damage.  The road repairs have been almost unbelievable.   This is highway A1A on November 10.  I wonder how many more times they can save this road.


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Another picture from Flagler Live of the flooding which caused most of the damage to these homes I walked by.   This is also from Nicole 2 weeks ago.

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Some houses had been boarded up and abandoned.  I wondered where the owners were and what would happen next.   The cost of insurance in Florida is becoming extremely difficult.  But how can you be without it?

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These properties were 4 or 5 blocks from the ocean and 2 or 3 from the river.

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Water still in the drainage intended to protect the homes.  Hurricane Nicole did more damage here than Ian.  $23 Million is the estimate. 


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And some folks were totally spared.


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Yet some fun things were not hit or were already replaced.

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I have always loved the great variety of clever mailboxes here.   Not as many as usual and some damaged but still . . . .


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This one is my favorite

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Eventually I did arrive at the park and walked along the boardwalk through the mangroves to the open river channel where a large dock has bench seats. 


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The boardwalk showed a few signs of repair but not nearly as many as the flooding in the nearby neighborhoods would have led me to expect.  Once I saw that, I thought perhaps I would not be able to walk on the boardwalk at all.

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How could these homes right on the water not have been damaged in the river flooding?

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Looks like great paddling if you can find your way in and out.

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There are connecting turns of the boardwalks that lead to walkable trails.

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Debris here is visible.

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As though to cheer me and the neighborhood folks up, on the return trip I caught this rainbow.  It really surprised me as it wasn’t raining or even as cloudy as it had been.


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When I returned after 8 miles, I saw another rainbow of boats for rent at the river dock.


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and later took this picture of the dock from which you can launch them or your own kayak which sadly because of the wind every day I never did.   Something to look forward to next year.

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On another evening when I went over to the dock for sunset this man gave me a start.  From the back he looked just like David.  How I wish!


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The waters turned choppier as the sun slipped below the tree line and orange filled the sky.

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These paths are so wonderful.  I never walk to the beach without going through the Maritime Forest even though it is a longer route. The trees are so interesting and individual.  On most of these morning walks, I don’t see anyone.  Not so this morning.  

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On this day I came upon a gopher tortoise strolling along.  He must be very used to campers as he did not with draw into his shell.  I seem to have lost the best video I took from the front of him walking along eating as he went so this one will have to do. Just click that link.


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I made it over to the beach one last time and took this final shot of the Flagler Beach water tower from the shore.  I haven’t made my reservation for next December but I’ll be trying for one soon.

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And a last sunset before I move on to Wekiwa Springs and some kayaking.  It’s amazing how different the sunsets here are.  These pictures are taken from the same spot as those above.

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The water is like glass reflecting the skies.

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22 comments:

  1. A picturesque walk from devastation to delightful. Better coverage than a newscast. 👍🏽

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    1. What a delightful thing to say Jody. Thanks!

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  2. It's nice to see the ocean as we recover from freezing cold weather. Thank you for sharing.

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    1. Glad I could help Pam but I'm going to jump to the holidays next post and show you FOUR degrees. Imagine going from 70 to 4.

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  3. Amazing how long hurricane cleanup can take. We have friends who live in New Smyrna Beach. They said it was devastating. Love your sunrise/sunset pictures as usual!

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    1. I'm glad you like them Laurie. I get many more sunsets than sun rises being on the Riverside.

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  4. I just cannot imagine how it must feel to take everything out of your home and dump it in a pile in the front yard. Floods and Fires, devastating. Grateful that thus far in my life I haven't had to experience either. Maybe after nearly 8 decades, I may not have to ever.

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    1. It was really heartbreaking Sue and I'm hoping neither one of us ever has to pile our possessions at the curb to be hauled away as trash.

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  5. Wow, does this post ever bring back memories! I've walked that boardwalk many times as you know. Wish I'd thought to ask you to drive up north of Flagler Beach along A1A to see how it was damaged. The house I rented for so many years was in the Beverly Beach area about five miles north of the pier. The owners I rented from have sold it and it is no longer available for rent, but that's ok. Hoping to head down that way in early February, so maybe can check it out then. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas with Carrie & company despite the frigid temps!

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    1. We had a great time as always and that should be the next post. I'm going to skip ahead to it and then go back to finish up December.

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  6. Love that last picture of the sunset. We enjoyed many Florida sunsets over the years in Key West. Wishing we were there now instead of this fridgid weather we have now here in SC. At least here we don't have any iguanas to duck as they fall from the trees!

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    1. No falling iguanas is definitely a good thing. None of those in Maryland either. 😁

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  7. What a lovely routine to enjoy each day in your happy place. So unique to any beach area we've visited. Not hard to understand why people risk the devastation to have the beauty around them. Love the manatee mailbox :-) Beautiful skies over the water - such a variety of moods. And you're posting in the current month!!

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    1. I know it's amazing isn't it? I'm actually posting in the current month. It's the variety of moods just as you've said that I love. I've also found that it's easy to work up a routine in a park you visited every year. Without David I'm not quite the same wanderer I was.

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  8. We are dealing with the insurance thing as our company is leaving the state. So we have to jump through hoops to get covered before it expires. Thanks for the real pictures of the damage. Happy New Year.

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    1. Best of luck with the insurance Tom. I'm afraid this is going to hit many Floridians. Happy New Year to you two too.

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  9. That man on the pier...whoa. the pants, shirt and hat...I would've done a double take too. It really makes the hurricane real to see the roadside damage. So much stuff. Just gone. The highway does look vulnerable. Beautiful sea pictures...and what a friendly looking tortoise!

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  10. That tortoise was so unafraid of me. I'm not sure how long they can continue to put that ocean front highway back together from all the hurricanes.

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  11. Wow! So much damage. I sympathize with homeowners yet it seems crazy to rebuild there. Glad you can still see sunrise and set from there. The tortoise is awesome.

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    1. At some point I think insurance is going to be unaffordable or perhaps not available. The gopher tortoise is a star for sure.

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  12. It never stops breaking my heart when I see the damage and the piles of people's belongings next to the street. Whether it's been from water and hurricane damage or sheer wind force and tornadoes, it's just crushing to my heart...
    We've been at Ormond and Daytona Beach this week and most of the beaches closed, many of the parking lots and pools are caved in. You really have to hunt to find beach access unless you're at one of the car ramps where others drive onto the beach. Luckily we found one that most don't know of about. But the scenery is pretty sad as you see the damage...

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  13. It's so sad to see the devastation from the hurricane. And it's scary to think of what insurance premiums will be this year. Which is exactly why we're moving from this beautiful place in Florida. But we will return in winter to visit...now I have to start thinking of booking campgrounds in Florida again. I know how hard it is, and how much harder it has become! Maybe we can figure out some places to be neighbors for the winter. :-)

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