Rising water and pounding surf overnight left several vehicles trapped in sand on Dauphin Island’s west end, according to neighbors who watched conditions deteriorate as Tropical Storm Bertha pushed through the area.
By Wednesday, a white SUV was among the vehicles stuck fast in the sand. Onlookers grabbed shovels and worked to dig out the tires in hopes of freeing it, but as of Wednesday evening at least one vehicle was still stuck in place.
Among those caught off guard was a family on the island for a senior trip. Brenton Linehan, a recent high school graduate, said he had known Bertha was approaching but did not anticipate how much it would affect the island overnight.
“I woke up and walked outside and the sand was about this tall up underneath the trucks, my mom’s car, and my cousin’s truck so it was a sight to see,” Linehan said.
Reana Linehan said the scene was especially unfamiliar for her family, who are used to different kinds of road trouble back home.
“It’s been a little crazy. We’re from Texas so we’re used to pulling out of mud, not sand,” she said.
As surf and water levels continued to climb, officials raised double red flags and closed the water to swimmers. Public safety officials also urged residents and visitors against driving through flooded roadways, warning that saltwater exposure can cause serious and costly damage to vehicles.
Update: Cleanup crews were still working through Bertha’s aftermath on Dauphin Island’s West End Thursday, with Bienville Boulevard near Tonty Court remaining inaccessible near West End Beach because of flooding. Robert Vincent, an account manager for Waste Pro, said downed trash cans and storm debris scattered across the road have been one of the more visible impacts crews are working to clear. Dauphin Island Police closed part of Bienville Boulevard because of the flooding, detouring drivers and limiting access to residents and renters in the West End Beach area. Dauphin Island Police Chief Matthew Emlich said a significant amount of sand was pushed onto the boulevard and into the West End beach parking lot, and that the area will likely remain closed through the weekend while cleanup continues.