The City of Fernandina Beach reports some of the cliffs are as tall as four to five feet.
FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — The higher tides than normal have created a bizarre sight in Fernandina Beach.
City leaders are warning beach goers about sand cliffs left behind from erosion.
According to a city update on Facebook, some areas of the cliffs can reach elevations of four to five feet, posing challenges for accessing the water.
“Galivanting along and almost came tumbling down that giant wall right there,” said Mackenzie Cardona while vacationing from Georgia.
Cardona plans to do all kinds of sightseeing on a cruise with her family this week.
However, perhaps the most peculiar thing she’ll see on the vacation was during the beach day her family squeezed in at Fernandina Beach.
“It is super high,” said Cardona. “I’ve definitely never seen this before. I’ve never been here before, but I’ve never seen this before.”
Beach Ranger Cathy Collins says the cliffs of Fernandina have been forming for weeks, but got this steep after the high tides the past few days.
She’s gone to work trying to make sure folks like Cardona can get up and down to the water.
“I try to go along and carve out some paths with a shovel to make it easier for people to go up and down,” Collins explained. “You definitely don’t want to be stuck down there when the high tide comes in, as the water could get dangerously close. It’s important to have a clear way to get up and leave if necessary.”
Collins noted that the cliffs near Seaside Park coincide with areas where beachgoers are permitted to drive on the sand, presenting additional difficulties for the park rangers.
“It makes the beach area much smaller,” Collins commented. “It gets crowded, and in case of an emergency, reaching the situation becomes much harder because vehicles are backed up to the dunes during busy times.”
Collins says the city has a machine that can smooth it out a bit, but they could also use a little help from mother nature.
“It’s a tricky situation because we need the water to come up and level it out, but at the same time, we lose more beach area, which negatively affects everyone involved,” Collins stated.
Before she climbs aboard the cruise, Cardona had to climb out of Fernandina Beach.
“I hope,” said Cardona. “We’re going to put my fitness to the test for sure.”
The City of Fernandina Beach posted that crews will get to work trying to level it out when conditions allow.
