FEELING THE EFFECTS OF
HURRICANE MATTHEW, AND A MAJOR
DEVELOPMENT COMING FROM THERE.
MEREDITH: WE UNDERSTAND PART OF
A ROAD IS UNDERWATER?
>> ACTUALLY, IT IS NOT
UNDERWATER.
PART OF IT IS MISSING.
WE GO TO A VIEWER PHOTOGRAPH
SENT TO US VIA E-MAIL.
WE SAW THIS PICTURE INITIALLY IN
THE EMERGENCY BRIEFING AROUND
2:30.
SOMEONE SENT IT TO THE COUNTY,
SAYING A PORTION OF A1A HAS BEEN
WASHED OUT.
SINCE THAT TIME I TALKED TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND
IN FACT, A SECTION OF A1A SOUTH
OF THE FLAGLER BEACH HERE HAS
WASHED OUT.
ALMOST TO THE CENTERLINE,
ACCORDING TO THIS PHOTOGRAPH.
THIS IS HISTORICALLY
TROUBLESOME.
STORM AFTER STORM HAS WASHED
AWAY THAT PORTION OF A1A.
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS EVER TRAVELED
THAT ROAD, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL
DRIVE ALONG THE COASTLINE.
AND BECAUSE IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL,
IT IS ALSO VERY VULNERABLE.
IT IS RIGHT ON THE DUNE.
THERE IS VERY LITTLE TO PROTECT
THAT ROAD FROM THE OCEAN ITSELF.
SEVERAL PROJECTS HAVE BEEN
PROPOSED TO FIX IT.
THEY HAVE DONE A LOT OF REPAIRS
OVER THE YEARS, BUT IT LOOKS
LIKE MATTHEW IS SIMPLY TOO MUCH
FOR THAT PORTION OF A1A THAT IS
WASHED OUT.
I ASKED
THEM WHEN THEY THOUGHT
THEY MIGHT GET THE ROAD
REPAIRED.
BUT
NOBODY CAN GO OUT THERE AND
DO EMERGENCY REPAIRS UNTIL IT IS
NOT AN EMERGENCY FOR THEM TO BE
OUT THERE.
THE CONDITIONS HERE WERE BAD ALL
NIGHT AND ALL MORNING.
WE HAVE A LITTLE TASTE OF WHAT
MATTHEW HAD ALL OFFER WHEN WE
ROLLED INTO FLAGLER COUNTY.
MATTHEW WAS RELENTLESS, BRINGING
DRIVING RAIN, HIGH WINDS,
DAMAGES WIDESPREAD.
>> I AM AN EXTREMIST.
REPORTER: IGNORING
ALL WARNINGS
DO NOT VENTURE OUT, THIS MAN
SAID HE IS FASCINATED BY HEAVY
WEATHER.
>> I LOVE THE STORM.
REPORTER: POWER LINES DOWN ALL
OVER, MORE THAN 50,000 PEOPLE
WITHOUT POWER.
THAT IS 80% OF THE COUNTY'S
TOTAL CUSTOMERS.
TREES AND LARGE TREE BRANCHES
DOWN.
THIS ROOF WAS DAMAGED WHEN A
TREE COLLAPSE.
ROOFS HAVE REPORTEDLY COME OFF
COMPLETELY.
SHINGLES DANCING IN THE WIND,
OFFERING LITTLE PROTECTION FROM
MATTHEW.
A MAN
AND HIS WIFE TRIED TO
LEAVE ORLANDO TO GET AWAY FROM
THE STORM BY HEADING NORTH, AND
IT UP IN FLAGLER COUNTY IN A
CLOSED BANK DRIVE UP LINE.
USING THE BANKS BUILDING AS A
BREAK FROM THE WIND.
>> OF THEY WERE ON THE GROUND,
SWINGING BACK-AND-FORTH.
I KNEW WE HAD TO GET OUT OF
THERE.
WE COULD GET HIT BY ONE OF THEM.
REPORTER: IT WILL BE A WHILE
BEFORE THEY CAN SEE HOW THEY
MADE OUT.
AUTHORITIES ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO
WAKE HIM UP FOR SAFETY'S SAKE.
A STRO MESSAGE, THEY DO WANT
PEOPLE WHO MADE IT T SHELTERS
,
THEY WANT THOSE PEOPLE TO STAY
IN THOSE THREE SCHOOLS.
DO NOT BE VENTURING O
BECAUSE
IT IS SUCH A SIGNIFICANT THREAT.
BRANCHES
THAT HAVE NOT FALLEN
YET COULD BECAUSE THE WIND IS
CONTINUING HERE.
THEY HAVE BEEN WEAKENING FROM
HOURS AND HOURS OF POUNDING.
IF YOU ARE AT HOME THEY WANT YOU
TO STAY.
THEY DO NOT WANT PEOPLE TO GO
OUT, THEY DO NOT WANT THE
CURIOUS TO BE WANDERING.
THEY ARE NOT EVEN SENDING
OUT
THEIR OWN EMERGENCY RESPONDERS
UNTIL EVERYTHING IS PERFECTLY
SAFE OR THEM.
AND THAT IS WHY IT WILL BE A
WHILE.
THEY DO NOT
KNOW UNTIL THEY CAN
RESTORE THE POWER.
80% OF THE POWER CUSTOMERS DO
NOT HAVE THE JUICE ON RIGHT NOW.
THINGS HAVE TO SETTLE DOWN AND
GET FIXED,
THE ROADS
SPECIFICALLY, UNTIL PEOPLE CAN
DO REPAIRS.
SO MANY INJURIES, AND
UNFORTUNATELY, SO MANY DEATHS
HAPPEN AFTER THE STORM IS OVER.
PEOPLE GO OUT AND TRY TO DO
THINGS THEY DO NOT HAVE
EXPERTISE FOR.
IF YOU NEED A PROFESSIONAL TREE
TRIMMER TO COME AND TAKE CARE OF
DAMAGE TO YOUR PROPERTY, DO
THAT.
SIMILE PEOPLE GET HURT TRYING TO
DO THINGS THAT ARE MAYBE ABOVE
THEIR EXPERTISE.
MEREDITH:
TONY MAINOLFI JOINS US
NOW.
HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THOSE STORM
SURGES.
TONY: ONE OF THE THINGS I
LIKE
TO DO AS A METEOROLOGIST AND
SCIENTIST IS CORRELATE SURGE
WITH SOME OF THOSE PICTURES YOU
HAVE SHOWN.
WE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR
MAPS AND FORECASTED A SEVEN FOOT
SURGE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE TALKED
TO THE FOLKS TO SEE WHAT THE
ACTUAL SURGE WAS.
THE PICTURE WE SHOWED WAS PRETTY
IMPRESSIVE.
IT LOOKED LIKE IT COULD HAVE
BEEN MORE.
>> AS FAR AS STORM SURGE
GOES,
YOU HAVE THE WAVE ACTION THEY
WERE PROTECTING, 15 TO 20 FEET.
THE SURGE THEY WERE PREDICTING
ON THE INTERCOASTAL WATERWAY,
EIGHT FEET.
WE ASK ABOUT
SOME OF THOSE
STATISTICS AND DAMAGES, AND WE
WERE TOLD IT IS TOO EARLY IN THE
GAME.
THOSE ARE THINGS THEY HAVE TO
TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHEN THEY GO
OUT THERE AND DO AN ASSESSMENT.
SOME OF THOSE
THINGS ARE STILL A
LITTLE BIT OF THE UNKNOWN.
BUT CERTAINLY, THE STORM WAS
HUGE.
IT OFFERED CHANCES FOR GREAT
DAMAGE,
AND SO MANY OF THEIR
RESTAURANTS ALONG THE A1A
SECTION OF THE FLAGLER COUNTY
AREA WERE DAMAG BECAUSE THE
WAVE ACTION WAS SO ENORMOUS.
TONY: AND THE WAVE ACTION IS
STILL PRETTY INTENT.
-- INTENSE.
BUT NOW IT IS COMING OFF SHORE,
THAT WILL HELP A LITTLE BIT.
THANK YOU, APPRECIATE THAT.