FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. — As storms rolled through Central Florida Thursday, the rainfall washed out part of A1A in Flagler Beach, forcing the closure of a two-block section of the busy roadway for several hours.  

Crews were able to fill in dirt to repair the section of roadway within a few hours, but the vulnerable stretch of road is leaving people living and working in the area worried.

What You Need To Know

  • As storms rolled through Central Florida Thursday, the rainfall washed out part of A1A in Flagler Beach, forcing the closure of a two-block section of the busy roadway for several hours

  • Crews were able to fill in dirt to repair the section of roadway within a few hours

  • The Florida Department of Transportation says there’s been 20 washouts in the area in just the last year and a half

Frank Denaio just opened a new restaurant on Flagler Beach two weeks ago and said he likes the beach town because of the potential for loyal, local customers.

“I’m very happy about this area, the people that are around here, I’ve been welcomed with a lot of open arms,” he said.

But there’s one big problem. A1A, the main road in and out of town – and to Denaio’s restaurant, Fusion 386 Dining — is washout prone. The Florida Department of Transportation says there have been 20 washouts in the area in just the last year and a half. 

Denaio said he noticed a marked drop in customers during the hours Thursday's washout had a section of A1A closed.

“Because I have a lot of business that comes from Ormond Beach and Daytona, they like to travel down A1A and they want to see the scene," he said. "So, obviously, the washout is going to deter them from coming down the road and coming this way."

The washout happened in an area where just last month, FDOT began a project to build a seawall to fortify a section of the roadway, and prevent washouts. When washouts happen, they can leave people like resident Ken Jeffery somewhat stranded, until they’re repaired. 

“The only way to pack your car to leave here is A1A, and I was worried about whether they would open the road," he said. "But they were Johnny on the spot, got someone out here right away, dug some sand up from the beach and put it into place."

For Denaio, getting steady business is crucial for the first weeks of his new restaurant.

With the seawall project not expected to finish up until fall of next year, Denaio said he is worried about this fall — and the major storms that could cause problems.

“We’ll just have to cross our fingers and hope we get through it unscathed, until the project is finished,” said Denaio.