Many concerned more of Flagler Beach pier could wash away after Ian

Flagler Beach pier damaged, large pieces of the pier float away

FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. – About 100 feet worth of the pier at Flagler Beach washed away during Ian on Thursday, and many worry that more could be wiped out in the aftermath of the storm.

A lot of the debris that floated away washed up on the beaches on Friday and people came out to see what was left of the pier.

The boardwalk was full of folks wanting to catch a glimpse for themselves of the iconic pier in tatters.

“It’s really sad. I mean, it’s iconic for this area,” said Chuck. “It’s you don’t think that’s ever going happen, you know, but Mother Nature.”

Some said they come every day to swim, surf or fish -- and the sight was sad to see.

“It is a big deal. It is the marking of Flagler Beach. Everyone knows the pier. It is where everyone meets up and hangs out and as you can see we have our local surfers out here to ride out the waves,” Janel Velazquez said.

“I’ve been going fishing there with my kids since they were little. I am going to miss it until it gets fixed,” Scott Syesta said.

PREVIOUS STORY: Flagler pier breaks apart, Sheriff Staly says he doesn’t think it will survive Ian

News4JAX viewer Kerry Minervini sent us video of a portion of the Flagler Beach pier floating away in extremely rough conditions.

The pier and beach dunes had major damage. Part of A1A was even forced to close because of the debris in the road.

Flagler Beach recently repaired the pier, which was damaged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016. It also suffered some damage in 2020 by Tropical Storm Isaias.

The Flagler Sheriff’s Office posted video of the damage on Thursday.

RELATED: Flagler County urges residents to continue to conserve water, follow safety guidelines after Ian passes through area | Flagler Beach neighborhoods treading through floodwaters left by Ian

The Flagler Beach Police Department posted on Facebook that the pier was crumbling and asked everyone to stay away, not to come look at it, because it was not safe.


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A Florida-born, Emmy Award winning journalist and proud NC A&T SU grad

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