ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Residents from Ponte Vedra to Crescent Beach are cleaning up, and in many cases digging out, after Hurricane Matthew washed sand ashore, destroyed dunes built over decades, and damaged homes and businesses. St. Johns County officials estimate property damage could reach $2 billion.
Vilano Beach was hit hard, with a few oceanfront homes destroyed and others teetering on the edge of a cliff of sand.
Urban search and rescue crews went door-to-door Saturday marking beachfront homes in the most-damaged areas with neon paint to indicate whether they were safe to enter.
A square means the home has minor damage and is inhabitable. If the square has a slash through it indicates structural damage. Enter at your own risk, but call a structural engineer as soon as possible. If the square has an X inside, damage is significant and it is not safe to enter the house.
Some houses also got a red notice saying the home is unsafe and warning that it's unlawful to occupy or use the structure, or a yellow "Unsafe" sticker, that also is put on structures deemed to be unsafe.
Debris littered A1A and homes through the small beach community, where neighbors are shocked and saddened.
Those whose homes were spared from major damage are helping their neighbors.
"Looking at the houses in front of me, it's pretty crazy," Maili Talton said. "It's just crazy that the house is still standing."
Others, like Jessica Soule, were helping pick up debris off the beach. She was heartbroken by what she saw.
"Just because I got lucky this time doesn't mean it's going to be the same way next time, so I need to be out here helping them out," Soule said. "Living here in Florida, that's a risk that you take."
Michael and Theresa Usina were born and raised in this area and said they were there to support those who are suffering.
"Just hang in there, do the best you can do hope and pray things will work out," Michael Usina said. "These people have such a positive attitude, and that's what you need."
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office spent a lot of time getting that debris out of A1A so it would be safe for people get to their homes to clean up. The county said it's going to take weeks, if not months for the damage to be cleaned up and repairs completed.
Other significant damage was in southern St. Johns County, where the hurricane tossed around heavy boulders put in place a few years ago to reinforce an old road in the area. Some ended up in residents’ yards.
“It was a solid mass of water and foam and debris. I saw pieces of the old highway float by,” Bill Meeler, who watched the storm from his beachside home, told The Washington Post.
As of Sunday morning, there were still reports of portions of A1A being impassable between Ponte Vedra and Vilano Beach. The State Road 206 bridge to Crescent Bridge remains closed after Florida Department of Transportation engineers found some structural damage Saturday afternoon just before it was scheduled to reopen.
The State Road 16 Shands Bridge, the State Road 16 span over the St. Johns River, reopened late Sunday after part of the road on the St. Johns County side that washed away during the hurricane was rebuilt.
Bishop Estates Road, Wildwood Drive and all roads in the Menendez Park subdivision reopened Sunday. Multiple road closures had been reported in the St. Augustine Shores neighborhood due to downed trees and power lines.
WATCH: Coverage of historic storm | Sky 4 surveys Matthew damage
Business owners who have experienced damages as a result of Hurricane Matthew are encouraged to fill out the Business Damage Assessment Survey at http://flvbeoc.org. The survey is utilized to determine the needs of businesses impacted by the hurricane to activate federal financial assistance and the Emergency Bridge Program.
Some hard hit businesses in Crescent Beach include the Matanzas Inlet Restaurant and Shell gas station and the Pit Surf Shop.
"We have people working for us 10-15 years and now they don't have a job,” said Jerry Galassao, owner of Matanzas Inlet Restaurant. “It's devastating. It's like a war zone in here.”
It's going to take weeks, some said, to restore the community, and that could impact local business.
The Pit Surf Shop is trying to open as quickly as possible, but Matthew really affected the store's bottom line, owner Clint Richardson said.
"That's the worst thing too, just being down three or four days. That affects the revenue for the year,” Richardson said.
In St. Augustine, a downtown vintage shop suffered the wrath of Matthew.
"Yesterday afternoon we came to see what we were walking into, and we had no idea what we would find, and I was just overwhelmed with the amount of mud and dirt that went all the way to the back," owner Kim Geyers said.
She said at least 2 feet of water rushed into the building, ruining thousands of vintage items.
Tropical Tradewinds Lounge a few yards from the ocean, known for its nightly shows, now has a stage of rubble and an unrecognizable dance floor.
"What we saw was the bottom of the sea floor, sand and oyster mud and all the stuff that we had to clean," Judy Thompson said.
But business owners in St. Augustine's highest tourist area are determined to bounce back.
St. Johns County has activated a hotline for residents and business owners with concerns regarding property and structural damage due to Hurricane Matthew. If you are concerned that your home or business has sustained structural damage due to Hurricane Matthew, or if you have storm-related permitting questions, please call the St. Johns County Building Services Structural Hotline at 904-827-6800.
The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce also shared several resources for business owners:
Member directory | Business damage Assessment survey | Florida disaster resources, info
During re-entry, everyone, both evacuees and those who remained during the storm, were urged to be careful
of standing water hazards, debris obstructions, and domestic or wild animals that may be stranded from their owners or habitats.
In addition, people were urged to use extreme caution if operating generators. They must be kept outside and well ventilated.
Water and sewer service was restored to the islands on Saturday evening and all curfews have been lifted. Until further notice, customers located in those communities that had water service interrupted must boil water intended for consumption for a minimum of one minute. As an alternative, bottled water may be used.
Residents should bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute and then let it cool before using or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling water kills bacteria and other organisms in water.
To report water or sewer outages, please call 904-209-2700.
The county is opening two distribution points for water (48 bottles) and a two-day supply of food (six meals total) per person:
- Pedro Menendez High School at 600 State Road 206 in St. Augustine
- Nease High School at 10550 Ray Road in Ponte Vedra Beach
County officials said St. Johns County public schools would be out on Monday, although year-round employees should report for work. St. Johns River State College campuses in St. Augustine, Orange Park and Palatka will also remain closed Monday.
Public transportation services in St. Johns County, which includes the Sunshine Bus and the Para-Transit systems, will return to standard operations on Monday, October 10. All Sunshine Bus routes will be running on their normal schedules, with the exception of the Green Line as a result of the SR 206 bridge closure.
The St. Johns County Courthouse and St. Augustine city office will also remain closed Monday. Monday night's city commission meeting was canceled.
Solid waste collection will resume on Monday, with the initial pickup of vegetative storm debris scheduled for Thursday.
St. Johns County residents can receive text messages regarding instant updates on Hurricane Matthew relief and recovery efforts by texting STJOHNSFL to the number 888777.
For the latest conditions in the city of St. Augustine and all of St. Johns County, residents should continue to call St. Johns County Emergency Management at 904-824-5550.