Hurricane Nicole's aftermath in Florida - WESH 2 Orlando

SITTING AT 12 MINUTES. SHELDON: THIS MORNING WE’RE GETTING AN EVEN CLEARER PICTURE OF ALL THE DEVASTATION THAT NICOLE CAUSED. SANIKA: FIRST WARNING METEOROLOGIST ERIC BURRIS IS IN CHOPPER 2 WITH THE DAMAGE OVER DAYTONA BEACH SHORES. ERIC: WE HAVE BEEN BRING YOU LIVE COVERAGE OVER THIS AREA BECAUSE OF THE UNFORTUNATE SCENARIO. LET ME TAKE YOU DOWNSTAIRS TO SEE THE DEVASTATION. NOTICE HOW THE WATER CONTINUES TO PUSH CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THESE HOMES. WE ARE WORKING TOWARD A HIGH TIDE CYCLE AT ABOUT 9:30. WATER LEVELS WILL CONTINUE TO RISE AND THIS IS GOING TO BE AN EVEN HIGHER TIDE THAN WHAT WE SAW YESTERDAY. THINGS ARE GOING TO BE GETTING WORSE AND ONE INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE, OUR PILOT NOTICED FROM FLYING LAST NIGHT THROUGH THIS MORNING, THERE IS EVEN MORE IMPACT. THERE ARE MORE HOMES INTO THE BEACH. LOOK AT THAT. THE POOL ON THE TOP LEFT CORNER IS STANDING BUT EVERYTHING AROUND IT IS NOT. THERE IS DEBRIS AND DAMAGE ALL OVER THE SAND. EVEN IF THERE WAS BEACH TO GO FOR A WALK THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO DO IT. IN ADDITION TO THE STORM SURGE, THE TOP CENTER OF YOUR SCREEN, IF YOU COULD TILT IT UP, THAT ROOF HAS BEEN SO HEAVILY DAMAGED. IT WAS NOT JUST THE STORM SURGE, IT WAS THE WIND. WE CLOCKED WINDS UP TO 75 MILES PER HOUR. ANY TIME TALK ABOUT A TROPICAL SYSTEM UNDERSTAND THIS WAS A LOW END HURRICANE, HIGH END TROPICAL STORM. THE IMPACTS ARE FAR-REACHING. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS BECAUSE, GOING AHEAD TO THAT 9:30 TIMEFRAME, WE VERY WELL COULD SEE MORE OF THESE HOMES GOING INTO THE WATER. WE WILL BE WATCHING FOR IT AND BRING IT TO YOU LIVE. THAT IS THE LATEST FROM CHOPPER 2. ERIC BURRIS IN DAYTONA BEACH SHORES. BACK TO YOU. SANIKA: VOLUSIA COUNTY SAW SOME OF THE WORST DESTRUCTION FROM NICOLE. DOZENS OF BUILDINGS ALONG THE BEACH HAVE BEEN DEEMED UNSAFE. SHELDON: THAT INCLUDES PEOPLE’S HOMES AND POPULAR HOTELS. WESH 2’S CLAIRE METZ HAS BEEN REPORTING FROM THE COAST THROUGHOUT THIS STORM. SHE’S LIVE FOR US THIS MORNING. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING THIS MORNING? WE CAN SEE THE DAMAGE BEHIND YOU. CLAIRE: IT IS HORRIFIC. WE ARE A LITTLE SOUTH OF WHERE ERIC IS. THIS IS WILBUR-BY-THE-SEA AND, AS YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME, IT IS HEARTBREAK. SEVEN OR EIGHT HOMES COMPLETELY COLLAPSED UNDER THE FORCE OF THE WAVE ACTION. THERE IS ANOTHER 15 TO 18 JEOPARDIZED IN WILBUR-BY-THE-SEA DUE TO THIS INCREDIBLE DAMAGE. IT IS SOMETHING TO SEE. A LOT OF THESE PROPERTIES WERE IMPACTED BY HURRICANE IAN. IAN LED THE WAY, IF YOU WILL. IAN TOOK OUT THE SEAWALLS AND THE ELEVATION. BUT BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING TO STOP NICOLE THE WAVES CAME AND THEY CAME HARD AND FAST. THESE FOLKS DID NOT THINK THEY WERE GOING TO LOSE THEIR HOMES BUT BETWEEN 2:00 AND 6:00 YESTERDAY MORNING, THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED. WHERE ERIC IS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CONDOMINIUMS. THIS IS A POWERFUL PICTURE. THIS IS THE BACK OF THE HAWAIIAN INN IN DAYTONA BEACH SHORES. IT WAS DEEMED UNSAFE AFTER IAN, BUT NOW EVEN MORE SO BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS GONE. IT IS HEARTACHE. THERE ARE 22 BUILDINGS IN DAYTONA BEACH SHORES DEEMED UNSAFE. THE CITY SAYS NO ONE CAN GO BACK INTO THOSE UNTIL THE CONDO ASSOCIATIONS OR OWNERS OF THE HOTELS OR PROPERTIES GET ENGINEERS IN TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT IS SAFE. THERE IS STILL CONCERNED THERE COULD BE FURTHER IMPACT AND EVEN COLLAPSE. NO ONE WILL BE ALLOWED BACK INTO THOSE BUILDINGS AT THIS POINT. HUGE ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THAT IS THE DAYTONA BEACH SHORES NEIGHBORHOOD. THERE ARE HOMES BUT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LIVE FULL-TIME IN THOSE CONDOMINIUMS OR VISIT. GUESTS STAY IN THOSE PROPERTIES. IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH ALL OF THIS IN THE SHORT TERM. THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG-TERM FIX IN THE END. WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ABOUT ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS. CURFEW HAS BEEN LIFTED AND THE BRIDGES, WE ARE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHETHER THEY ARE OPEN. I BELIEVE THEY WILL BE BUT THEY ARE ASKING UNLESS YOU REALLY HAVE BUSINESS HERE, PLEASE STAY OUT OF THE AREA. LET ME JUST SHOW YOU OUR BEAUTIFUL OCEAN. IT IS A GORGEOUS MORNING, NO DOUBT. BUT THIS OCEAN IS STILL POWERFUL. THE TIDE COMING IN AND THERE ARE SO MUCH DEBRIS. . I CAN SEE DEBRIS FROM HERE IN THE WATER. IT IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. OCEAN RESCUE ASKS YOU TO STAY OUT AND NOT JEOPARDIZE THEIR EFFORTS AND NOT RISK YOURSELF. IT IS NOT WORTH IT. BACK TO YOU. SANIKA: GREAT REMINDERS. THANK YOU. HAPPENING TODAY IN NEW SMYRNA BEACH, THE CITY’S DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAMS WILL BE BACK OUT TO DECIDE WHAT AREAS ARE SAFE FOR PEOPLE TO RETURN TO. SO FAR, OFFICIALS HAVE ALREADY DEEMED A NUMBER OF CONDO BUILDINGS UNSAFE. THEY ALSO WARN PART OF THE NEW BOARDWALK AT 27TH AVENUE PARK CAVED IN DURING THE STORM. PEOPLE THROUGHOUT VOLUSIA COUNTY ARE URGED TO STAY-AT-HOME UNTIL CREWS CAN ASSESS THE FULL EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. SHELDON: IN ORANGE COUNTY, LEADERS WANT DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS TO BE MINDFUL OF DOWNED POWER LINES FROM THE STORM. THEIR WARNING COMES AFTER TWO PEOPLE DIED AFTER COMING INTO CONTACT WITH A LIVE WIRE. THE MAN AND WOMAN WERE ELECTROCUTED IN THE CONWAY AREA NEAR PERSHING AVENUE AND BAYFRONT PARKWAY YESTERDAY. A TODDLER THAT WAS WITH THE COUPLE DIDN’T GET HURT. IF YOU SEE POWER LINES DOWN, STAY AWAY FROM THEM AND CALL 911 OR YOUR LOCAL ENERGY PROVIDER. THE STORM IS ALSO CAUSED A MAN’S DEATH IN COCOA. AUTHORITIES SAY 68-YEAR-OLD THOMAS WHITE WAS WITH HIS WIFE ON THEIR YACHT WHEN THE STORM HIT. FIRST RESPONDERS GOT A CALL EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING FROM HIS WIFE. THEY RUSHED TO PERFORM CPR AND GET HIM TO THE HOSPITAL BUT HE DIED. INVESTIGATORS ARE STILL WORKING TO DETERMINE HIS OFFICIAL CAUSE OF DEATH. SANIKA: RIGHT NOW IN FLAGLER COUNTY, PARTS OF A1A HAVE BEEN WASHED OUT BY THE STORM. YOU CAN SEE THE ROAD CRIPPLED UNDER THE FORCE OF NICOLE. OFFICIALS ARE WORRIED MORE DAMAGE MAY HAVE HAPPENED OVERNIGHT DURING HIGH TIDE. WESH 2’S TONY ATKINS IS LIVE NEAR A1A THIS MORNING. TONY, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING OUT THERE? TONY: I AM AT A1A AND 12TH STREET AND WE ARE STARTING TO SEE FOLKS AND PEDESTRIANS MAKE THEIR WAY HERE. AS PEOPLE HAVE MADE THEIR WAY ALONG A1A, THEY HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO STAY OFF THE WATER FRONT SIDE OF THE ROAD BECAUSE THE INTEGRITY OF THE ROADWAY IS IN QUESTION AFTER WE SAW A NUMBER OF ROAD COLLAPSES ALONG A1A. THIS COMES AFTER HURRICANE NICOLE MADE ITS WAY THROUGH THE AREA AND IMPACTED THE ROADWAY FOR A VERY LONG STRETCH AND CAUSED IT TO CLOSE. IT WAS ORIGINALLY DUE TO THE DEBRIS AND NOW THAT THE EROSION HAS HAPPENED, IT CONTINUES TO BE CLOSED. VERY UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. OFFICIALS DO NOT WANT PEOPLE TO DRIVE OR BE AROUND THIS ROAD AS THE CREWS WORKED TO GET THINGS UNDER CONTROL. THEY URGE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THE BARRIER ISLAND AREA TO STAY AWAY FROM THE ISLAND. WE MADE CONTACT WITH SOME PEOPLE OUT HERE. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE IN THE AREA. THERE IS A RESTAURANT HERE GETTING READY TO OPEN. THEY ARE PRETTY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO OPEN AGAIN, BUT THE AMOUNT OF CUSTOMERS THEY MAY HAVE TODAY MIGHT BE IN QUESTION GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. BUT AS THESE CREWS CONTINUE TO WORK TO GET THIS ROAD STABLE WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THINGS AS THEY GO ON THROUGHOUT THE DAY. IT IS UNCLEAR WHEN THIS ROAD WILL REOPEN. TONY ATKIN