Hurricane Irma causes millions in damage to St. Augustine marina

Broken dock slips, sunken boats, damage still litter marina

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The effects of Hurricane Irma are still visible in the heart of the nation’s oldest city.

St. Augustine continues to tally the costs of the damage left behind by the storm -- costs that are quickly adding up. 

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The St. Augustine Municipal Marina harbor master said the damage to the marina alone is in the millions. Roughly 20 slips are gone, and pieces of the dock are missing. 

Harbor Master Sam Adukiewicz said the marina is currently operating with limited utilities and dock space as it awaits repairs.

Irma's winds came from the southeast, and Adukiewicz said that's why one side of the marina suffered so much damage.

Up close, the damage is clearly significant. A sunken boat could be seen Wednesday still sticking up out of the water. Adukiewicz said it will likely be towed sometime Wednesday.

"When I was coming back to the marina, I felt like I was coming to identify the body of a friend,” Adukiewicz said. “You know, that's what it felt like to me. Not knowing what you're going to see when you get here."

Adukiewicz said every cone seen at the marina represents a broken dock that cannot be used as slabs of wood hold portions of the dock together for now.

Adukiewicz snapped several pictures of the marina immediately after the storm. He said early reports indicate the damage is in the $3 million price range.

"Debris was everywhere. Flipped over docks. It was a bad scene that day,” Adukiewicz said.

Adukiewicz said he hopes money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will go toward repairs, but said that the city still hasn't gotten any federal dollars for Hurricane Matthew last year.

Adukiewicz hopes to have the marina fully functioning as quickly as possible, but he knows it will take some time to recover. 


About the Author

Ashley Harding joined the Channel 4 news team in March 2013. She reports for and anchors The Morning Show.

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