Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue urges people to stay away from the dunes and out of the water

Jacksonville Beach FL — Now that Nicole has passed us, we’re trying to assess the damage left behind at Jacksonville Beach.

Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue Division’s Captain Rob Emahiser spoke to Action News Jax off camera about the potential dangers of these very tall sand dunes because he was busy helping his crew to clean up debris.

Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue Division said that these sand dunes at Jacksonville Beach have a high edge from when Tropical Storm Nicole eroded the sand dunes during high tide. The agency wants beachgoers to stay away from them, out of fear that they could collapse on someone.

“I think if they feel endangered, they should trust their gut and not go in the water,” says Paige Chaffin.

Jacksonville Beach is also still under a red flag advisory. You might not see these red warning flags because they’ve been washed away, but JBOR says there’s still a heavy risk of strong currents, winds and dangerous debris like hefty wood panels and metal poles that were used to hold up the beach warning flags.

“Everyone just has to be aware of the risk that are out there,” says Kyle Rogers.

Earlier this week, an Action News Jax drone showed you footage of the sand dunes prior to Tropical Storm Nicole. Today, the dunes are slightly eroded on the ocean side.

At this time, Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue Division is asking that people stay out of the water for at least the next week as the agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers work to assess the damage done by Tropical Storm Nicole.

Jacksonville Beach and Ocean Rescue Division also told Action News Jax that the tide cycles have been disrupted so there may be areas its crews cannot drive to at the moment. That is why the agency is asking for everyone stay out of the water for their own safety, until further notice.

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