This post was written after Hurricane Matthew in October 2016.
I was in New Smyrna for a closing on my new house, and my son and I took a look at the beach. It was four days after Hurricane Matthew and we wanted to see how badly the beaches were hit. Happily I found that Breakers Restaurant, right on the beach, was still standing, and open for business!
If you’ve ever visited the area, you will know it’s the pink building at the end of Flagler Ave., with that awesome view of the ocean. If you are lucky enough to get a seat at the front, you can eat at the bar and watch the waves roll in.
The parking lot across the street from Breakers is no longer free to park (that stinks), so we drove in just long enough to get a few pictures. It was raining, so my photos aren’t that great, but I wanted to share the better ones I took. I would have liked to get out and walk around, but the weather did not allow for it.
The ocean was churning up sand and the tide was high – at least the water was high – I don’t’ know what the tide schedule was. The beach entrance was blocked off to drivers (you can drive on the beach here), mainly because there was no beach. Below is a bad photo of the sign at the beach entrance.
One thing we noticed as we drove around the area was that the coast had been hit with more wind than we were inland. Everywhere we saw debris piled up along the roads ready for removal. Power trucks were everywhere, which meant that a lot of people were still without electricity. Buildings had shingles missing, and trees were down in some areas. Some places had tarps on the roof.
Luckily, the damage was a lot less than what was predicted. Many people along the coast evacuated, and had to sit for days wondering what shape their homes were in.
We headed south at Peninsula Ave. and took the south causeway home. The north causeway has a drawbridge for tall boats, mainly sailboats I would assume, but the south causeway bridge does not open. We headed home feeling very lucky that, at our rental house inland, we did not even lose power during the hurricane.
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The BREAKERS in New Smyrna Beach, Florida is just a real SURVIVOR !! They ALWAYS make it thru whatever Mother Nature has to give them, and we ALL are SO very glad they do !!! A storm’ll come, and the very NEXT DAY the whole staff – all of the cooks, bartenders, and servers will be right there – WORKING HARD at what THEY DO THE VERY BEST – offering the most OUTSTANDING in food and drink, and the view is ALWAYS THE MOST beautiful right out across the beach, and looking at the waves coming all the way from across the Atlantic Ocean !!! And ALL OF US, their devoted and appreciative hungry and thirsty “Breaker-ites” are right back there, too, with our appetites, ever-so-patiently waiting, for their one-and-only BREAKERS NEW SMYRNA BEACH EXPERIENCE of ever-so-wonderful and not-to-be-outdone happiness !! And, at nite, the FULL MOON rises ever so BEAUTIFULLY from across the Ocean to the BREAKERS – and MOON WORSHIPPERS gather with their drums, in front of the restaurant and DRUM the MOON ever CLOSER, and BIGGER and BRIGHTER with EVERY beat of the drums !!! What a TRUE GIFT Mother Nature and Grandmother Moon give us !!! You absolutely MUST see it for yourself, and as they say, once you get New Smyrna Beach sand in your shoes, you will ALWAYS return … again and AGAIN !!! And I’ll meet you there MYSELF !! I’ll be the one with the Fried Shrimp, No-Liquor Pina Colada, and a HUGE SMILE on my FACE !!! See you there !!!!!
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Glad to hear that your area is on the mend. Thanks for the comment back. Have a great Thanksgiving.
So sorry to be late in replying to your comment, but I have been moving into a new place. It’s lucky that Jamaica did not get the brunt of the storm. In my area of Florida – near the central east coast – they are still collecting downed tree limbs that have been piled alongside the roadways. Roofs are still being replaced too. And it wasn’t nearly as bad here as they predicted. So thankful for that!
We were in Montego Bay, Jamaica the day after the hurricane passed by…it didn’t sustain any damage other than a bit of high water and rough waves. Within a day or two the beautiful calm seas returned.