FORT PIERCE, Fla. (WSVN) — Hurricane Dorian is impacting the beaches of Central Florida but staying on a course off shore.
Homeowners in Fort Pierce said they lost about 50 feet of sand on the coastline as the storm eroded the beach outside, which is concerning because the more the sand recedes, the higher the chances a storm surge will flood the city.
5am advisory: Tropical storm conditions continue for the Northeastern Coast of #Florida. #Dorian remains a Cat 2 hurricane with max winds of 105 mph. @wsvn @7weather #flwx pic.twitter.com/3hBiq7BgQP
— Vivian Gonzalez (@VivianGonzalez7) September 4, 2019
Fort Pierce, therefore, remains under a mandatory evacuation order.
Meanwhile, local officials in Cocoa Beach said they expect weather conditions to deteriorate as the afternoon goes on well into the evening.
Cocoa Beach Police got everyone off the beach out of concern that a storm surge might come in as gusty winds whip up the waves and the storm gets closer.
“They’ve definitely picked up over the weekend,” Marc Bibie, one of the residents of Cocoa Beach, said. “We’ve been watching, taking pictures, and it’s definitely gotten angrier out there.”
The 7 DroneCam flew over the surf, with white caps and wicked waves getting closer and closer to shore.
If a significant storm surge arises, residents hope that the sand dunes will hold it back and thus prevent any flooding.
“I have some hope that we’re not gonna see super high winds beyond 75 miles an hour,” Betsy Fisher said early Tuesday, “but luckily, I live in a structure that was built about the year I was, so I’m hoping it’s seen a lot of hurricanes, and I lived here just fine, but I’m staying here.”
Most residents packed up and left Cocoa Beach under a mandatory evacuation order, but because Dorian was forecast to stay off shore, some changed their plans and decided to stay.
“I was packed and prepared to get out of here, so I’m gonna stay, and I don’t think anything too bad will happen,” Mark Jeffrey said. “Maybe a little power outage.”
Utility crews have been on standby, ready to respond if Dorian cuts anyone’s electricity.
The fear in Cocoa Beach comes during high tide, which is expected Wednesday morning.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.