St. Johns County braces for erosion, flooding

Strong winds, high tides could put homes at risk

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – High tides plus strong Northeast winds reaching as high as 30 miles per hour could put numerous homes in St. Johns County in danger due to erosion, according to the National Weather Service.

St. Johns County issued a local emergency warning Monday because of severe winds, lunar tides and high waves that were causing erosion.

NWS officials said they've gotten some reports about erosion in the Ponte Vedra Beach, Vilano beach and Summer Haven areas.

Engineers will be assessing homes in St. Johns County tomorrow to make sure they're not at risk.

Some parts of St. Johns County, including Ponte Vedra Beach, are no stranger to the troubles of erosion.

Further south in St. Augustine, several areas have also dealt with issues of flooding. 

"Even as far south as St. Augustine and down into portions of Flagler County, typically the downtown St. Augustine area, historically has had some drainage problems," said Angie Enyedi, a meteorologist with the NWS. "And when we get the strong Northeast winds, it gets into the Matanzas Inlet, the water funneling kind of pushes that water inland."

Genna DeFalco said in the past she's even seen flooding close to Flagler College.

"Attending the college, everyone kind of -- it is definitely talked about across campus whenever it rains," DeFalco said. "Everyone has to plan out their day, so it is definitely an inconvenience." 


About the Author:

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