Monthly Archives: November 2022

More Rain, but #NoLakeO, SLR/IRL

Thanksgiving was a whirlwind and a lot of fun as Ed’s family including niece and nephew visited. The two days before their arrival on November 22, 2022 was quite rainy -a light, humid, constant rain. After the “rain event” my rain gauge read just under 6 inches! Here along the coast in Sewall’s Point the old saying remains: “when it rains, it pours.”

Today, I am sharing my husband Ed’s aerials of the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon. They were taken area above Sewall’s Point, the St Luice Inlet, and a few of the Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart -on November 26, 2022 around noon on an incoming tide. Like my previous post , after Hurricane Nicole, the contrast of milky, stirred up ocean water and the dark, fresh, polluted, runoff from area canals and surrounding lands and neighborhoods is extreme.

In my opinion, to witness such events without the discharges from Lake Okeechobee is educational, it makes clear how important not fertilizing and using chemicals on our yards is, and thankfully the tides flush the mouth of the river out over time. When the ACOE starts Lake O discharges, this can go on and on – for months and in worst case scenarios -for years. The river cannot clean out. There have been no major, longstanding discharges from Lake Okeechobee since 2018 and the Sailfish Flats’ seagrass community has been slowly recovering.

Today the lake stands at 16.50 feet. There is a periodic scientists call today of the ACOE when input will be taken regarding lake discharges and other water issues.

Thus Ed and I present these photographs for the record.

-My rain gauge after the rains a few days prior to Thanksgiving on November 24, 2020. almost 6 inches.

-SFWMD Lake O update

-Canal map

11-29-22 6:17pm slide from ACOE PSC at 2pm

Hurricane Nicole’s Ugly Effect – St. Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon

As shared in my recent blog post, Hurricane Nicole brought a significant storm surge to the St Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon region. Many residents experienced flooding and property damage, especially of docks and seawalls.

Today, 11-16-22, my husband, Ed, went up in the RV plane and took pictures to compare to others we took prior to Hurricane Nicole.

It has been quite a time. Nicole hit Florida on November 10, 2022 and Hurricane Ian on September 28, 2022. The river has taken two recent hits.

When Ed got home and I asked him how the river looked, there was a pause and he replied, “just like old times…” meaning “not good.”

Ed’s photos were taking during a rising tide around 1:15 November, 16, 2022. You will see that there is the flushing/cleaning of incoming ocean water from the St. Lucie Inlet. If the estuary is left alone, in time, a few weeks, it will significantly clear up. If the ACOE discharges from Lake Okeechobee, (the Lake is at 16.22 feet) it will not clear. Tomorrow’s (11-17-22) Rivers Coalition meeting at 11am at the City of Stuart Chamber, 121 SW Flagler Avenue, Stuart, Fl 34994, will address this issue, also the issue of “sending water south.” The guest speaker will be LTC Todd Polk. I encourage all to attend.

The goal? To allow the St Lucie River to return to her true beauty and that can only happen when we stop the discharges, all of them.

2-11-15 ACOE Periodic Scientist Call information: Periodic_Scientists_Call_2022-11-15

-Sewall’s Point between the SLR/IRL -click on to enlarge. -Ernie Lyons bridge from Sewall’s Point to Hutchinson Island- IRL–Jupiter Narrows far left, SLR-Plume in Atlantic Ocean coming out of St Lucie Inlet

We “All” Live in an Ancient Indian Archaeological Zone

-Erosion at Santa Lucea Beach, Martin County , FL 11-11-22, JTLJust a few days ago, Hurricane Nicole whipped up the Atlantic Ocean and unearthed an ancient Ais Indian burial site at Chastain Beach on Hutchinson Island, near Bathtub Beach and Sailfish Point. Once again, we are reminded of history and those who lived here before us. I would hope, in time, these remains will be sacredly reinterred.

11-12-22 TCPalm article “Hutchinson Island Burial Site May Have Exposed Bones”

It is important to note that the local native people of Florida did not just live on Hutchinson Island, they utilized our entire coastal area of the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon. In fact, almost our entire coastal region is designated an “Archaeological Zone.”

-Below: map insert section of Martin County, Florida coast. “An Archaeological Survey of Martin County, Florida, 1995.” The shaded areas denote archaeological zones – areas the native people especially lived in and utilized. This includes Hutchinson Island, Sewall’s Point, parts of Rio, Jensen, Stuart, Palm City, Rocky Point, and Hobe Sound among others. This report was not just to map these areas but also to alert developers. What does this mean? It means that in 1995 the famous archaeologist, Robert Carr, and his team determined such, and this is documented in their publication written for Martin County Government. Ironically, I had just asked my mother for a copy for our study of Palm City so when the unearthing occurred I took note.

The publication provides the following designating these Archaeological Zones.

I am reminded to share an old blog post of mine about the Indian Mound, still visible, in Ft Pierce. Tuckahoe, in Jensen, is also an ancient Indian mound. Most of course were disrespectfully carted away to construct roads.

“The Ais were a tribe of Native Americans who inhabited the Atlantic Coast of Florida. They ranged from present day Cape Canaveral to the St. Lucie Inlet, in the present day counties of Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie and northernmost Martin. They lived in villages and towns along the shores of the great lagoon called Rio de Ais by the Spanish, and now called the Indian River.” -House of Refuge exhibit

Not just after a hurricane, but every day, we should remember those who were here before us and how they lived- in tune and respecting Nature. The best place to learn about the Ais people is at the House of Refuge on Hutchinson Island near to where the recent artifacts and bones were unearthed.

By the way, where do you live?

Video “Shadows & Reflections, Florida’s Lost People, features archaeologist Robert Carr and gives an idea of many of Florida’s native peoples.

Hurricane Nicole vs. 1984 Thanksgiving Day Storm

What a few days…

What became “Hurricane Nicole” was first labeled a “subtropical” storm…

I texted my brother Todd, (eyeonlakeo.com) inquiring and he sent me a NOAA article about tropical, subtropical, and extratropical storms. Hmmm?

When I posted a video on Facebook as Nicole approached, showing South Sewall’s Point Road underwater, I was asked: “Is this the worst it has ever flooded?” This got me thinking about my photo archives so I pulled out old pictures of the November Thanksgiving Day Storm that former Sewall’s Point Mayor, and friend, Don Winer shared with me.

The Thanksgiving Day Storm was not a named hurricane.

Below are videos of Sewall’s Point from November 9, 2022 as Hurricane Nicole approached the east cost of Florida. Next, are photos from 1984 after the Thanksgiving Day Flood. Both storms are for the Florida November record books -that’s for sure! Looking at the photographs, and considering all the variables, what do you think? Nichole or Thanksgiving Day Storm?

-Above: Sewall’s Point is a peninsula in Martin County, FL surrounded by the Indian River Lagoon on the east and St Lucie River on the west. The east side is lower in elevation and sometimes experiences flooding. The town of Sewall’s Point is working hard to change this and the new work in the area of Mandalay held up according to Mayor Tompeck.

I. HURRICANE NICOLE, made landfall late November 9, 2022. Storm surge proceeded impact. JTL

-At Ridgeview 11-9-22 at 11:48am

-Riverview 11-9-22 at 11:42am

-Post storm

-Below: Entrance to South SP Rd. November 9, 2022 at 11:51pm

-North Sewall’ Point Road at entrance to Indialuice, approaching midnight after landfall. Courtesy of my brother law Mike Flaugh and my sister, Jenny Flaugh.

Sewall’s Point Park, post storm, November 10, 2022.

II. THANKSGIVING DAY STORM, November 22, 1984

Subject: Thanks Giving Day Flood 1984, Sewall’s Point Florida.

Jacqui,

Flood photos attached.

If you look carefully you will see some pointed towards the entrance to High Point when they had the white brick pillars on each side of the entrance. Some look up the side streets to where you can see South River Road and how far up the side street the flood came. Some are at Mandalay and you can read the street sign. Some are by Kiplinger’s looking from the road to the river. Some look north up SP Road and others were taken as the flood receded.

Don

Below added 11-12-22 an email from Mark Perry, Executive Director of Florida Oceanographic -this history is so interesting!

Hi Jacqui,

“Great Blog on the comparison of Hurricane Nicole and the Thanksgiving Day Storm of 1984. Florida Oceanographic established the St. Lucie Inlet Coastal Weather Station at the House of Refuge in October 1984, just before the “Thanksgiving Day Storm”. The weather Station has been upgraded over the years and is a display at the House of Refuge showing “real” time weather conditions to visitors while providing weather to over 200 callers each day, boaters, fishermen,etc.. The weather information is also valuable to ocean and coastal research efforts and reporting pending storm conditions. I recall the major storm surge and how glad I was that our weather station held up. Back then we used a TR180 computer and a Realistic answering machine from Radio Shack. Do you rember George Gross? He and his father (Chemistry professor at FIT) were the owners of the 1^st Radio Shack in Stuart. George was on our Board at the time and he along with Bill Chase (also FIT computer teacher) installed the first coastal weather station in October 1984. It was the first in our area and it is still going (with updated equipment of course);

Weather | Florida Oceanographic Society (click on the one at House of Refuge)

Just some history I thought you might enjoy.

Mark

Mark D. Perry

Executive Director & CEO

Florida Oceanographic Society

890 NE Ocean Blvd.

Stuart, Florida 34996

11-28-22

Of interest Thanksgiving Day Storm article TCPalm regarding damage along Vero Beach, FL (available to subscribers only November, 2022)

St Luice River and Nicole

Tropical Storm/Hurricane Nicole

I am posting the aerial photographs below for comparison after Tropical Storm or Hurricane Nicole arrives. The St Luice River will surely be impacted. At this time, as much as ten inches of rain is predicted in some areas. Follow TS/Hurricane Nicole on EYEONLAKEO.COM

National Hurricane Center: rainfall and other charts

Although I have no aerials for November 2022, I have three unpublished October aerials to share. They were taken by my husband, Ed Lippisch. One can see from the photographs the impact from canals C-23, C-24, C-44 and “local basin” runoff that accompanied Hurricane Ian that struck southwest Florida as a category 4 storm on September 28, 2022 – impacting the entire state. For weeks, the rains from Ian filled the St Lucie River. But by October 28th the river is clearing up.

Post Ian, Lake Okeechobee was not discharged into the St Lucie. The impacts of Nicole we do not know at this time, but whatever they are, they will not be good.

Lake Okeechobee sits at 15.89 feet.