ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Flooding has been a reoccurring issue for many coastal areas due to strong northeasterly winds and extreme tides.
Kayla Doucette, who lives in the Lincolnville neighborhood of St. Augustine, got into a kayak Monday and floated down her road.
“Most people look at it as like a curse, sometimes you have to find the beauty in it and for me it was I can kayak down my street," she said.
Doucette was determined to stay positive considering the circumstances.
What makes the flooding dangerous? The water at times rises fast, leaving little time to react. A News4Jax crew had to leave the area quickly to avoid getting a vehicle stuck.
“It did happen before but usually it was with the hurricanes so we do see that a lot with hurricanes but with a northeastern this is the first time it’s flooded down Riberia street this bad," Doucette said.
As News4Jax watched the floodwaters rise, numerous cars were driving by creating a wake that pushed the water further into the surrounding properties
“We gotta be conscious of other people here," Doucette said. “Always think twice and think of the what ifs.”
Not far away, Logan Russom is an employee at the Bait Shack, located by the Vilano Bridge.
“Over the last, like, three days it’s been very heavy winds and a little bit of rain,” he said. “Just a lot of wind pushing in off the ocean and the whole parking lot has been flooded.”
The high winds are expected to weaken Tuesday, and a coastal flood warning and high wind advisory were expected to expire Monday evening.