Hurricane Matthew's scars still remain 6 months later

Hurricane battered St. Johns County coastline, left wake of damage

VILANO BEACH, Fla. – Six months after Hurricane Matthew left a wake of damage with a $150 million price tag in St. Johns County, much of that damage is still being repaired, particularly in hard-hit Vilano Beach.

From exposed foundations to backhoes to an uprooted air conditioner, Matthew's fingerprints can still be seen across the area.

“The first couple walks down the beach, I couldn’t look. Then I looked and tears started welling up in my eyes,” said Karen Persutti, who is visiting a friend in the Vilano Beach area. “Even her swimming pool is loaded with people's fences and docks. She has a gorgeous home, and it’s gutted.”

IMAGES: Hurricane Matthew's wake of damage |
VIDEO: Sky 4 flies along coast after Matthew

News4Jax surveyed the remaining damage in St. Johns County by land and boat earlier this week and spoke with people in the area, many of whom are regular vacation home renters.

Many recently got their first look at the damage residents have been living with since Matthew churned up the coast in early October. Many said the devastation that still remains is hard to see.

“It’s pretty bad. I feel bad for these homeowners,” renter Christie Love said. “I just hope they build back.”

Some homes still bear the scar of a giant X, spray-painted six months ago by workers who deemed the property was too damaged to be lived in.

“It’s sad. I feel bad for all the homeowners,” vacation home renter Aubrey Kendrick said. “It’s a lot to deal with.”

Local resident Kevin Parry said the devastation was only a matter of time.

“They did build on a sand dune, and that’s all it is,” said Parry, whose parents just returned to their home a month ago after Matthew forced them out. “Hell, there’s some people not even in yet. It's pretty tough for these people.”

WATCH: Still rebuilding 6 months after Matthew

The story is much the same along the Intracoastal Waterway, where many docks have yet to be repaired because their owners have struggled to get permits from the state, which owns the land under the river.

Walter Kotlinski with the Freedom Boat Club took a News4Jax crew up the river to see a lot of the damage that remains, like a boat lift that's been left flipping in the wind.

The concrete and wood of the Conch House dock were decimated, as was the iconic dock at Cap's on the Water Restaurant down the river.

“We cleaned up and replaced everything and 20 days later we were reopen -- perhaps a record,” said Bernard DeRaad, with Cap's.

The restaurant, which was flooded, is finishing up a new building, but the $100,000 dock won't even be started until the owners get a permit in hand in 30 days.

“We pay for the dock, and docks can be insured in Florida, but it's extremely expensive, so ours was not insured,” DeRaad said. “The dock is iconic for Cap’s. It’s been here since the '40s.”

The county is working on a dredging and renourishment project along Vilano Beach to restore the sand that washed away, but one local resident said he thinks all the renourishment in the world won't protect the coastline of St. Johns County if it gets a more direct punch than the one Matthew packed.

“That won’t last a storm,” he said. “I’ll be oceanfront pretty soon, and I live about three blocks that way.”


About the Author:

Scott is a multi-Emmy Award Winning Anchor and Reporter, who also hosts the “Going Ringside With The Local Station” Podcast. Scott has been a journalist for 25 years, covering stories including six presidential elections, multiple space shuttle launches and dozens of high-profile murder trials.