Flagler Beach pier reopens after Hurricane Dorian

Public Works Department assesses 228 miles of roadway, inspects 35 bridges

FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. – The Flagler Beach Pier reopened Friday after inspectors cleared it as structurally sound two days after Hurricane Dorian passed about 100 miles offshore, battering the coast with heavy surf and wind.

Structural engineers from Mott MacDonald were called to inspect the iconic pier, the Flagler Beach Police Department said. Engineers did not notice any major damages and gave the approval to reopen the bridge to the public.

After Hurricane Matthew, the pier lost about 160 feet and repairs took several months. 

Several fishermen cast their lines over the pier Friday morning as the sun rose, including Steve Williams, who was happy it reopened quickly.

"We have a big pier family out here. This is a mainstay for a lot of people," said Williams, who visits the pier about six days a week. "With Matthew, it was closed I think for nine or 10 months and you lose touch with all your friends out here and things. So we were very grateful it withstood Dorian."

WATCH: Flagler Beach pier reopens after Hurricane Dorian

City Manager Larry Newsome said they plan on doing more work to check the pilings in the water and make sure any loose bolts are tightened.

"We're going to start doing that now more than we've done in the past just to keep the pier in good shape," Newsome said.

No extraordinary debris pickup: 228 miles of roadway, 35 bridges inspected

The Public Works Department by Thursday morning had assessed all 228 miles of roadway in unincorporated Flagler County and inspected its 35 bridges for structural integrity. The Florida Department of Transportation inspected both bridges to the barrier island in an abundance of caution.

"We were very lucky," said County Engineer Faith Alkhatib. "We had only three downed trees -- Old Haw Creek, Old Kings Road North and County Road 205 -- and those have already been cleared."

There will be no extraordinary debris pickup in unincorporated Flagler County. Waste Pro, the county's contractor, will pick up yard waste on Saturday.

Garbage collection returned to normal service Thursday. Residents on the Monday/Thursday schedule will have their garbage collected on Thursday. Residents on the Tuesday/Friday schedule will have their garbage collected Friday.

Garbage collection guidelines:

  • Garbage is picked up twice a week, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on scheduled collection days. Items for collection must be placed curbside in a neat and orderly manner. All garbage and small or loose items must be placed in garbage cans or tied in plastic garbage bags. 
  • Bulk pickup (furniture / large items) is normally scheduled on the second scheduled pickup day of the week. Construction and demolition material is not considered bulk and will not be picked up by Waste Pro. All residents will need to dispose of this type of material at their own expense.
  • White goods such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, hot water heaters, etc., should be placed at curbside and allow three to five days for pick up. Call Waste Pro at 386-586-0800 to make arrangements.
  • Yard waste is picked up once a week on a non-garbage day.  Yard waste does not need to be bound, tied or containerized in any manner; however, there is a limit to the amount of yard waste that can be placed at the curb each week.  
  • Any yard waste pile that is larger than 4 cubic yards (3 feet high by 3 feet wide by 12 feet long), or contains any material that is longer than 5 feet in length or 6 inches in diameter, will need to be picked by a separate truck. There are additional costs associated with pickups of this nature and these costs will be paid directly to Waste Pro by the resident.  

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