Fort Walton beach condition

**seagrovelover** · 05-23-2005, 11:05 AM

We will be staying in Fort Walton for one night while waiting for our rental house in Seagrove.......How are things looking over there? I know they had a good amount of damage, in fact the only hotel we could find that could accomodate a one night stay was the Ramada and they had to closed to do extensive repairs. Any input would be great!!!! thanks everyone

**shakennotstirred** · 05-23-2005, 12:21 PM

I stayed on Okaloosa Island in April. The beach there was fine. The pool at the condo unit was closed due to Ivan but they were in the process of repairing that as well as the beach access walkover. There are recent photos of the beach there at http://www.turtlewalk.com/ (The 2 photos above Crab Island & Destin Harbor are new photos). Most of the restaurants were open. I know that one of the larger condo buildings next to us did not get electricity restored until Feb but most appeared to be up & running.

**seagrovelover** · 05-23-2005, 12:59 PM

Thanks so much, looks good to me!!

JB · 05-23-2005, 01:53 PM

One striking thing about the first photo is how the dunes on the military property part of Okalsoosa Island are totally flattened. At one time, those dunes were 20-30 feet tall. Sad.

**Smiling JOe** · 05-23-2005, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by JB

One striking thing about the first photo is how the dunes on the military property part of Okalsoosa Island are totally flattened. At one time, those dunes were 20-30 feet tall. Sad.

Those 20'-30' dunes are still there. Remember, you are looking downward from the sky, even the buildings look relatively two-dimensional.

JB · 05-23-2005, 05:42 PM

I guess you're right. I haven't seen the area in person since before Ivan. I did hear that, during the peak of the storm surge, waves were breaking over that particular stretch of 98. That's what led me to believe the dunes were gone. It's certainly good news they're not.

**Smiling JOe** · 05-23-2005, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by JB

I guess you're right. I haven't seen the area in person since before Ivan. I did hear that, during the peak of the storm surge, waves were breaking over that particular stretch of 98. That's what led me to believe the dunes were gone. It's certainly good news they're not.

JB,
There are sections of wash outs, but for the most part, the dunes are still holding strong on the south side.

**kurt** · 05-23-2005, 09:05 PM

Yes there is one low part that washed out during Opal also.

**beachmouse** · 05-23-2005, 11:19 PM

I'd guess about 80% of the dunes on Okaloosa Island between Destin and FWB are gone. There are only a couple of decent sized ones left. If you remember where the doppler weather dome was, part of that dune is still there, and the weather station was teetering on the edge of that dune for months before the AF decided for safety's sake to tear it down rather than try to move it back a little and prop it up.

The 98 washout looked like it was because of water from the bay coming over a point in the road that was both at 3' above sea level and way too close to the water. (it seemed like the westbound lanes of the old road was 10' from the water) As part of the rebuilding process, they shifted a good stretch of roadway toward the center of the island so it's not so close to the bay anymore.

For a while after the storm, the condos that were open were swamped with construction workers and disaster relief people commuting to Navarre and Pensacola every day.

The Gulfarium reopened in April.