- April 23, 2024
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Flagler Beach plans to repair its iconic wood pier that was damaged by Hurricane Ian. Until then, it will be closed until further notice, City Manager William Whitson said on Monday, Oct. 3.
Surging waves from Hurricane Ian ripped down the seaward end of the pier the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 29 as the storm curved northward toward Flagler County.
Whitson said coastal engineering firm Mott MacDonald out of Jacksonville will assess the damage on Oct. 4.
"I am trying my best to get the assessment to find out when we can open it," Whitson said. "But until we know that, it's closed. I hate it. I hate it terribly."
The pier was also damaged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016: That storm ripped off the final third of the structure.
"I am trying my best to get the assessment to find out when we can open it. But until we know that, it's closed. I hate it. I hate it terribly."
— WILLIAM WHITSON, Flagler Beach city manager
Plans are underway to build a new, concrete pier for Flagler Beach. But Whitson said the plan is to repair the wood pier first.
"That's what we did in the last storm," he said. "If it can be stabilized, we will. But we have to rely on the engineers to assess it and let us know."
The Flagler Beach Police Department posted photos of the damage Thursday afternoon.
"Our iconic pier has sustained significant damage from #Hurrricane Ian," the FBPD wrote in a post on the department's official Facebook page. "PLEASE don’t come to Flagler Beach to look at the damage; it’s for your safety. We will post additional pictures when conditions are better and thanks to Officer Sylvester for documenting the damage. Stay safe Flagler Beach."
The Police Department noted that the damage had occurred around 2 p.m. Thursday.
The pier's live-streaming video camera had stopped broadcasting the previous night, before midnight.
Managing Editor Jonathan Simmons contributed to the report.
