Dennis - damage reports & requests - merged to this thread

Smiling Joe - Thank you for the wonderful pictures! Thank you for all your time spent for the worried ones and the properties they love. It is so hard to be away from that area when times are fine, but it is pure horror when you watch on T.V. the beauty of the Walton area taking such a beating from storm after storm. Just looking at the pictures makes my husband and I take a moment to sit back and relax, even though we are miles away in Ohio.

I was wondering if it is possible to build a portable (removable) walkover?

Can anyone give a report about the condition of Holiday Isle? We've got reservations at our fav place, Jetty East, for the first week of August. I hear that Holiday Isle sustained some of the worst damage and is largely unhabitable. Anyone know if this is true? Should we be planning to go farther east along the coast?

Thanks in advance and best of luck for a speedy recovery, Destin!

My friend lives on Holiday Isle, and he was fearing the worst when he drove back on Monday morning. He had to borrow a boat to sneak out to check on his house, which the bottom floor was lost to water damage after Ivan. He said that his house appeared to be in good shape all considered. I think they are supposed to allow owners back in maybe as early as Thursday of this week.

Re: Dennis - damage reports & requests - merged to this thread - Seaside damage

We're planning to visit Seaside early next week. We will be staying in Sun Worshippers on Savannah Street. Does anybody have any pictures of the town or the Seaside beaches? Approximately how many of the normal Seaside activities (concerts, snowcone stand, etc.) will be going on? Thanks for all the info.

Check my photo album for Seaside Pics

SJ you da man!!! Great info, pix, and karma. My wife and I have been coming down to the Santa Rosa, Dune Allen, Grayton, Seaside, and Seagrove area sine 1990 and we love it. We just bought a place in Eastern Lake on Eastern Lake Road. Do youhave any pix of that area or the beach and beach accesses in that area on the west side of Eastern Lake like at S. Gulf Drive? Anything pix would be great if you or anyone else has any. TIA.

SJ you da man!!! Great info, pix, and karma. My wife and I have been coming down to the Santa Rosa, Dune Allen, Grayton, Seaside, and Seagrove area sine 1990 and we love it. We just bought a place in Eastern Lake on Eastern Lake Road. Do youhave any pix of that area or the beach and beach accesses in that area on the west side of Eastern Lake like at S. Gulf Drive? Anything pix would be great if you or anyone else has any. TIA.

No, I did not make it past One Seagrove Place, and I have left town for a while, but I am sure someone down that way will help you.

Thanks so much for the info, Smilin JOe! I will keep my fingers crossed for your friend's home and all of Holiday Isle. You are very nice to answer all of our questions.....

Re: SEASIDE

does anybody know anything about the activities going on in seaside? are the stores still open by the ampitheater? is the snowcone man still there? :

SJ, thank you so much for the photos! I don't know how much I can say this, but you are terrific! :clap_1:

Did you ever find out if paradise point was OK?

Did you ever find out if paradise point was OK?

Maybe, but I do not remember. Where is it and what is it?

Re: SEASIDE

does anybody know anything about the activities going on in seaside? are the stores still open by the ampitheater? is the snowcone man still there? :

All the reports I have gotten from Seaside have been favorable except for dunes and walkdowns. Power is on. No damaged houses. Shades is open. Stores are reopening. Recreational activities are resumming. Rental Agency is having communication problems, but they are open. Sorry, but I don't know if Frost Bite's is open. We will be there this weekend.

I was wondering if it is possible to build a portable (removable) walkover?

WaterColor just got one and it's already back in place.

Re: Dennis - damage reports & requests - merged to this thread - Seaside damage

We're planning to visit Seaside early next week. We will be staying in Sun Worshippers on Savannah Street. Does anybody have any pictures of the town or the Seaside beaches? Approximately how many of the normal Seaside activities (concerts, snowcone stand, etc.) will be going on? Thanks for all the info.

Kurt,
Thanks so much for the pic of Eastern Shores. It appears the 100 building is probably looking at reconstruction. Might be your opportunity to get in if someone wants out. The 200 building appears to have fared better and 211 is fine. We'll know more later this week.

How is the Eastern Lake beach access? Is the lake back to its normal course into the Gulf? Friends want to come down Saturday.

Thanks to you and everyone for all the feedback and information. The beach and 30A are a state of mind that transcends any hurricane. I look forward to my children and their children growing up on Eastern Lake and 30A. Kinda like the folks building Alys Beach as featured in this months South Walton magazine, we're in it for the long term! Dennis who?! :clap_1:

God Bless.

TM aka 30A

The beach looks good behind you - a few more pics here:
http://www.sowal.com/photos-071205-a.html

Re: SEASIDE

does anybody know anything about the activities going on in seaside? are the stores still open by the ampitheater? is the snowcone man still there? :

Seaside Town Update Tue July 12

Released on 7/12/2005

Contact: SEASIDE
Email: info@seasidefl.com
Phone: 800.277.8696

We continue to assess the town and beach in the wake of Sunday's hurricane. The news is good and the town has sustained minimal damage - primarily to the beach pavilion walkovers and our communications systems.

At this time no emails or long-distance calls can be sent or received. Our employee base is still somewhat limited; however, we are attempting to contact all guests to confirm reservations for this week. If you have a reservation you may call 800.277.8696 and leave a message. We will return your call as soon as we are able. If your reservation is within the next 24 hours please call one of our temporary hotline numbers 850.259.9446 or 850. 259.1023.

We are accepting vacation arrivals as early as today and expect our swimming pools and other recreational services will be operational by the end of the day. Our merchants are beginning to open their shops and restaurants. We are addressing beach access and working on a possible solution to be implemented by the end of the week.

We just got here this evening. Everything looked totally normal during the entire trip down from Georgia - no limbs or trees knocked down. We checked out our house - no damage. Thank God. But we had seen today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution with a view of Seagrove from Seagrove Villas (across from Wheelhouse) east. When we walked out to our nonexistent beach walkover (that we'd recently spent a boatload of money to enhance), I almost threw up. Not only is the newly scraped sand gone, but all of the dunes are gone, plus the horizontal surfaces at 30-A level are caving in. A total disaster. The homes that were once second row beachfront willl soon become beachfront, and the beachfront property will cave in.

Wow..I'm so glad to have found this message board. You guys are great. We have a home on Blue Crab Loop. Glad to know everything is okay.

Kurt - I'm off the board for 24 hours and boy, You have arrived! Congrats!

Joe - Kudos to you. Your efforts to assist so many show that you live (not just talk of) the Tao.


Hard to read all of the many posts in the last 24 hours but there appear to be 2 types of posters.

1. Those that appreciate the spirit of 30A and are kind enough to spend their precious vacations and their hard earned dollars to come down and help us -

from those who want to give back what this beautiful place has given them Wekick)

to those who believe that they should still spend their money and help out in any way they can welcome:lasml and Allirow)

to

the goofy happy family of 4 paddling around the lake, picking up debris and those who wish they could get down to assist in the clean-up, ( True 30Aer's jdarg & Seashell )


2. The other type of poster - Those who do not wish to drive 12 hours for the beach that is gone - I can only say that the beauty isn't gone in the landscape or the people. Some of the beaches in the French Riviera are mostly rocks. The famous black beach in Hawaii is black due to volcanic ash. You're right, the beach is not what it was yesterday or the day before or the year before or the millenium before. It's a moment, an experience, a memory. Photograph it, Paint it, Write a poem about it. The glass can be half full or half empty. I personally will find solace in the coming days walking on the beach contemplating the power of a force much greater than myself and of course, cleaning up my community. No condo/hotel pool will ever humble me in such a way. Was this my preference? Absolutely not but anyone who owns knows it's the risk we take to be in such a surreal place.

We understand if you don't want to come this year but we applaud and embrace you if you do. :clap_1:

______________________________________________________

Paradise Point = Paradise by the Sea

Hello All,
We hope the damage is bearable. Our family was scheduled to come down on the 16th to a house not quite on the beach... and we haven't heard from our property manager yet. Does anyone know anything about the condition of the west end of Crystal Beach?(specifically at Shirah St. ... Tiki House).
Thanks,
Dean

Cork on the Ocean....great post.

Can anyone tell me how far the closest beach access is to the Cottages at Camp Creek? I understand the walkovers are gone, but just want to know how far of a walk it will be to get onto the beach? With a 9 moth ol, the walk can't be too far.

Thanks

Adam

Eastern Shores, like during Opal, got water in the 1st floor, Leeward next to it got major damage.

The water didn't come all the way through like Opal. There were people enjoying themselves there today.

I'll post a pic later.

Thanks so much Kurt. You are so kind to take the time to help others the way you do - and I am sure you have work of your own ahead of you. How did you fare? Good luck.

A suggestion for the board:

What about someone who has been there for Ivan or a big storm like that writing a post that describes what the area/beach is like week by week over the next 4-5 weeks?

For example:

Week one:
--initial damage assessment; some homes condemned/inhabitable**
--most or all walkovers gone; must use flat access areas to get to the beach
(flat access areas are at Inlet, Seagrove, Grayton and I am not sure where else, look at the beach access thread)
--debris on the beach that needs to be cleaned up
--power being restored; some restaurants and stores still not open


**so sorry to hear of those whose homes were damaged or are inhabitable; or those who homes are at risk. For those who are not from the area, the 30-a area is 20-30 miles long, and the reports have been from a small percentage of places. Maybe someone from the area can give an estimate to put it in perspective.


Week two:

--power restored to most/all places
--temporary walkovers put in place for some communities (Rosemary, Seaside, etc.?)
--much of the debris has been cleaned up (watch out for _________)
--most restaurants/shops have reopened

Week three:

--area thunderstorms and regular wave action have started to return some white sand to stripped beach areas; water clearing up

Anyway, just an idea. Please feel free to liberally edit and embellish. I think some people are reading this thread and thinking the damage and conditions they are reading about will still be as bad a month from now...and we know that the area gradually gets better.

Thanks so much Kurt. You are so kind to take the time to help others the way you do - and I am sure you have work of your own ahead of you. How did you fare? Good luck.

Thanks

We did fine on the bayou. ;-) Much less wind than Ivan and not much water rise.