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Vilano Beach erosion "worst ever seen in long time"

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SOUTH PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla — The storm has moved on, the waves have calmed down, but the work in St. John's County is far from over.

Chuck McArthur and Sherre McArthur live in Vilano Beach, near a home that prompted county commissioners to declare a third state of emergency this week.  Engineers say in less than an hour between 3 and 30 feet of sand disappeared from the entire 42-mile coastline. The McArthurs say their neighbors are still stunned.

“The say it's the worst they have ever seen in a very long time,” said Sherre McArthur.

Action News dug through county records and found photos of a Vilano Beach home over the past decade that show how the dunes have changed.  A  St. Johns County spokesperson confirms erosion has been a problem for years, but this week the rate of erosion was nearly three times the normal rate.

In Summerhaven old A1A is now crumbling into the ocean and only one lane remains.

“We have been working 24/7 the last several days to shore up that road so homeowners have access to their houses on a safe, drivable path,” said Michael Ryan, St. Johns County spokesperson.

Ryan says crews have been given approval protect homes in danger in South Ponte Vedra. In Vilano Beach he says engineers are in contact with the owner of the home that is now uninhabitable.

“We're trying to determine if we are able to repair it or if at some point it will have to be taken down in order to preserve the safety for the entire community,” said Ryan.

The McArthurs hope action is taken soon.

“You certainly don't want people playing under the concrete slab during the summer so something needs to happen before that,” said Chuck McArthur.

Ryan says no federal dollars are expected to be made available to cover the cost of the work, because the storm was unnamed. The cost is still being estimated because the work is ongoing, but Ryan says the county could be forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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