Cordova Street has been inundated with flooding with high tides pushing several inches of water into the street.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Parts of St. Augustine have been taking on water for days, leaving neighbors with flooded streets from the high tides.
The general feeling among neighbors who spoke with a First Coast News team is that the flooding wouldn’t be too problematic if drivers didn’t insist on speeding through it and creating wakes that flood their properties.
Florida lawmakers passed a “No Wake” law this year designed to give them a little help.
“Beautiful,” said Susan Meyerson, who lives on Cordova Street near downtown St. Augustine. “I love St. Augustine.”
Meyerson landed her little slice of paradise last year when she retired to her dream spot in St. Augustine.
However, the price of paradise on Cordova Street is flooding at some high tides.
“I was aware this street flooded during hurricanes, but I wasn’t aware it happened during king tides,” Meyerson said. “I didn’t even know what a king tide was until December.”
Meyerson mentions that the flooding often recedes almost as quickly as it arrives, so she has become accustomed to staying put and watching the chaos as cars attempt to drive through it.
“Cars are driving down the street and causing rooster tails of water if they drive too fast,” Meyerson said.
Florida lawmakers implemented a new “No Wake” law, effective from July, permitting law enforcement to issue tickets to drivers who generate an excessive wake on a flooded street.
“That water is pushing into people’s yards and up close to their homes,” said Nancy Guarnieri, who also lives on Cordova Street.
The new law doesn’t specify an amount for a citation, but classifies it as a moving violation, which Florida statutes set the default at $60.
“It’s great, but I’m not sure how you enforce that,” Meyerson said. “If I were a police officer, I wouldn’t want to be on this corner when it’s flooding.”
Meyerson says she’s yet to get water in her home from the wakes, but says it’s come pretty close.
That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an impact.
“The landscaping stones here, when the tide rises, are pushed up against the house,” said Mitch Keady, who claims he must rake the stones every time it floods. “They form piles.”
Meyerson will keep trying to wave at cars to turn around when they hit Cordova during the flooded, trying to save one vacation at a time from being ruined by a stalled car.
“I mean, they’re tourists, they don’t know these roads are flooded,” Meyerson said. “This has been a nightmare.”
