'HE DIALED 911 FROM THE PILINGS': Storm surge swallows boat, parts of Holiday Isle and U.S. 98 (with NEW VIDEO)

Destin residents who went to bed Wednesday relieved to watch another hurricane pass by awoke Thursday to beach erosion, a flooded Highway 98 and awe at a storm that could wreak so much havoc from so much distance.

Hurricane Ike’s shocking storm surge forced emergency managers to shut down Destin’s link to Fort Walton Beach as water rushed over Highway 98. For much of Destin’s workforce, that meant an extra hour or two to the day’s commute; some motorists were caught off guard by the closure that rerouted them north to Niceville and the Mid-Bay Bridge.

As for beaches, the Gustav-eroded areas of Jetty East and Destin Pointe on Holiday Isle were suffering from the brunt of Ike’s storm surge. At

Jetty East, maintenance crews had brought in five truckloads of sand, but by 9:30 a.m., waves were crashing into the beachfront pavilion and parts of the parking lot were under a few feet of water.

“I think it’s a mess and for people that don’t think we need renourishment, they need their brain examined,” said Jetty East maintenance supervisor Emery Mitchell as he swept up sea grass that was floating into the garage under the condo.

The storm ripped up chunks of sea wall, crashed through fencing, damaged the pavilion and collapsed a stretch of concrete that sunbathers used to recline on lawn chairs. On Thursday morning, Mitchell estimated that the storm had already inflicted tens of thousands of dollars in damage to the property.

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VIDEO FROM THE DESTIN LOG

For a video from Ike's impact in Destin, click here.

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PHOTO GALLERIES FROM THE DESTIN LOG STAFF

For photos from multimedia journalist's Kathy Harrison's journey along Destin beaches and Holiday Isle, click here

For a photo gallery from other log staffers, click here.

For a view of Ike's influence on the harbor, click here.

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At Sandpiper Cove, water was creeping out of the gate onto the sidewalks as parts of the parking lot became part of the Gulf of Mexico. Water was even beginning to overtake the boardwalk behind Olin Marler docks, and boats were sitting extremely high in their slips.

At 11:15 a.m., emergency officials responded to reports of a boat sinking after it hit the Mid-Bay Bridge.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued James Patterson and his nephew Michael, who were clinging to the bridge’s pilings after their 16-foot cape sank.

Their boat was pulling a wooden barge when one of the steering boards broke loose, said James’ wife, Lynn Patterson. A giant wave swamped their boat and James and Michael had time to grab the cell phone and life jackets.

“They jumped onto the little wooden barge and just before the wooden barge crashed into the bridge they jumped to the pilings,” Lynn said.

“He dialed 911 from the pilings.”

Within hours of the rescue, James was searching for his boat on a jet ski. Lynn said they have located the sunken vessel and are working on salvaging it.

The boat rescue was the most dramatic part of the day, but beachgoers saw the Gulf put on its own performance.
With a local storm surge estimated at 3 to 6 feet, Dr. Jeff Masters with Weather Underground said in his Thursday update that “Ike is a freak storm with extreme destructive storm surge potential.”

Crowds and tourists in Destin were front and center to the “freak” show as they watched waves crash into the parking lot of Jetty East.
“I never dreamed a hurricane so far out in the ocean could do this,” said Betty Filer of Atlanta who was vacationing with her husband in Jetty East. “It’s awesome, but it’s scary.”

Some tourists from Louisiana, meanwhile, thought they were escaping Ike.

Carolyn Inzerella fled her home in St. Martinville, La., after worrying that Ike might hit the Texas-Louisiana border.

“We said, ‘let’s pack up and go!’ ” she said from a lawn chair on the pool deck of Jetty East while watching the water edge ever closer. “And now I’m looking at waterfront property in a parking lot.”

By Friday morning Ike’s fury seemed to be fading locally as it aimed for a Texas landfall. Emergency officials reopened most of Highway 98, which seems to have withstood its first tropical test since it was “armored” after washing out in hurricanes Ivan and Dennis.

Destin’s beaches meanwhile were eroded further, but City Manager Greg Kisela said the berm that was provided to protect the Crystal Beach shoreline held. Holiday Isle beaches, however, didn’t fare as well.

FEMA was expected to evaluate the beaches Thursday for damage from Gustav and Fay and determine if the city was eligible for grants.

They canceled as Ike made mischief locally, but Kisela expects them to return and assist the city with state and federal grants.

“We are still looking at protecting all of Destin and we need to see what tools are in the toolboxes to do that,” he said.

Other than Ike, the tropics seem relatively quiet — for now.

“The only way I can describe these storms is it’s like waiting for the bully to take your lunch money,” Kisela said. “And nobody likes that feeling.”

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MORE MULTIMEDIA OF IKE'S IMPACT

For photos from Okaloosa Island and Highway 98, click here.

For photos from the rescue at the Mid-Bay Bridge, click here.

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