Tropical Storm — Coastal Flagler, Florida
2022-11-09 to 2022-11-10 · Coastal Flagler, Florida
Event narrative
Strong tropical storm force winds and storm surge affected Flagler county and led to substantial property damage across the county. Major, destructive beach erosion and storm surge impacted the coast with the peak of impacts through the day on Thursday, November 10th. Sections of A1A where undermined and collapsed due to the extensive beach erosion with numerous beach access boardwalks and stairs demolished and washed away in Flagler Beach along A1A south into the Ocean Palm Golf Club area. There was storm surge flooding at Whitney Labs in Marineland. Strong tropical storm force winds impacted the county.
Preliminary damage estimates for the entire county's cumulative impact is 23.7 million dollars with 299 structures damaged.
On Wednesday Nov. 9th at 9:10 am, the public posted on social media that the end of the Flagler Beach Pier further collapsed from high surf. The structure was already weakened from Hurricane Ian. At 10:26 am, Flagler County Emergency Management (EMA) reported that State Road A1A was closed south of the Flagler Beach Pier from South 7th Street to South 16th Street due to tidal over-wash. At 10:28 am, Flagler EMA reported that State Road A1A was closed near Marineland. At 12:25 pm, Flagler EMA reported that they received multiple reports of water over the sea walls in Palm Coast and Long Creek was over its banks. At 12:40 pm, a mesonet station in Marineland measured a wind gust of 52 mph.
On Thursday Nov. 10th at 4:06 am, Flagler EMA reported sustained tropical storm force winds of 39 mph with a wind gust of 55 mph in Marineland. At 4:37 am, peak wind gusts in Marineland were up to 57 mph and gusts of 55 mph continued through 5 am. At 5:20 am, the Marineland mesonet site measured sustained 49 mph winds from the east. By 5:35 am, a mesonet station in Flagler Beach measured sustained tropical storm force winds of 39 mph from the east with gusts to 59 mph. At 5:50 am, a mesonet station in Marineland measured a wind gust of 59 mph and then at 6:30 am, the station measured a 72 mph wind gust. At 6:35 am, a mesonet site in Flagler Beach measured a wind gust to 60 mph. At 8 am, CoCoRaHS observer in Palm Coast reported heavy rainfall was producing minor flooding. At 8:30 am, Flagler EM reported multiple instances of storm surge flooding in Marineland. The storm was breaking through dunes and causing road flooding. South Palmetto Avenue in Flagler Beach was underwater around this time and in Palm Coast water was overtopping canal walls while still rising. At 11:08 am, broadcast media reported storm surge flooding in Palm Coast near Washington Oaks Gardens State Park and A1A.
On Friday November 11th at 10:48 am, an NWS Survey reported that multiple homes in south Flagler Beach were inundated with storm surge causing major damage. Extensive property damage occurred in Beverly Beach and in the south Flagler Beach areas. A total of 24 structures sustained major damage due to estimated storm surge inundation of around of 3 feet above normally dry ground. A damage assessment survey indicated about 2 feet of storm surge inundation at the intersection of south Flagler Avenue and South 25th Street. About 1 ft 9 inches of storm surge inundation occurred at Bings Landing and 1 ft 7 inches of inundation occurred at the intersection of South Daytona Avenue and South 26th Street. A portion of State Road A1A collapsed after being undercut as storm surge and wave action entirely eroded the adjacent dune.
Wider weather episode
Hurricane Nicole approached the SE FL Atlantic Coast and made landfall as a Category 1 near Vero Beach during the pre-dawn hours of Thursday, November 10th. Strong high pressure dominated NNE of the region ahead of Nicole on Wednesday, November 9th, which created strong onshore flow and gusty winds of 35-50 mph in a local 'nor'easter' type of event. This strong onshore flow combined with high astronomical tides 'charged' inland estuaries including the St. Johns River basin ahead of storm surge from Hurricane Nicole. Winds and ocean surge increased through Wednesday night with the peak of the storm surge along the local Atlantic Coast Thursday morning around high tide, then the surge peak down the St. Johns River through high tide Thursday afternoon. After landfall, Nicole weakened to a tropical storm as the center track WNW across central FL through the day Thursday then began a more northward turn across the central FL panhandle into Thursday night. The main local impacts from Nicole were storm surge inundation as well as tropical storm force wind damage.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1058012. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.