JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Six months ago one of the biggest storms to hit the Jacksonville area made its way up the Florida peninsula.
Millions of people hunkered down inside their homes for Hurricane Irma. The storm hit several Caribbean islands and made landfall in the keys as a Category 4 storm. Trees were downed, structures were destroyed and entire neighborhoods were underwater.
Hurricane Irma ended up being the area’s most damaging hurricane in 50 years.
Six months later, News4Jax looked back at the devastation left in Irma’s path.
Jacksonville resident Dianne Smith said water was still seeping out of her yard for several weeks after the storm.
“It was really strange. The water seeped so much into the ground, that it was a couple weeks and you could see it was seeping out at the road's edge,” Smith said.
Smith's friend Stacy Anderson said she lives in North Jacksonville and was caught in the storm while preparing to move.
“I live right on a creek, so I had about 16 inches of water in my house and got caught on a recall,” Anderson said.
Debris pickup is also delayed following Irma. According to county records, Duval County has spent an estimated $41 million on debris removal.
Some people News4Jax spoke with said they still remember the storms from years ago.
“I remember Dora when I was a little girl -- watching my neighbor drive by in their rowboats,” Anderson said.
Click here to read The Weather Authority’s blog, 6 months on: 4 lessons from Hurricane Irma.