JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As Nicole made way through Northeast Florida Thursday morning, the tropical storm brought heavy rains, strong wind gusts and sustained winds to the Jacksonville Beach area.
On Neptune Beach, the waves were intense as the sea-foam-filled water emerged closer to the dunes, which act as a protective barrier for the homes on the beach.
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The waves were reaching about 8 to 10 feet in some areas along Neptune Beach.
At Jacksonville Beach, a dune was completely blown on top of the base of the pier.
The wind speed continued to increase and massive waves were churning as it got later in the morning.
Locals were concerned about a storm surge impacting the inland as well.
While News4JAX did not spot any residents out on the water this morning, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry reminded people Wednesday to stay out of the ocean due to the dangers of swimming in extremely rough waters. Currently, there are red flag, high-hazard conditions at the beaches.
Many streets and homes in the Mayport neighborhood were experiencing standing water as Nicole brought in excessive flood waters.
News4JAX saw multiple people getting stuck in the flood waters or large puffs of black smoke blowing out of drivers’ tailpipes because of water getting inside of them.