St. Augustine residents have faced storms for centuries | Susan Parker
By this time you read this, our recent storm, Nicole, will be history. To make my deadline for the column, I must write it now. The rain is beating against the east window right in front of my desk. The wind is bending the branches of the tall oleanders over so far that they seem to be bowing to the empress — the storm.
Stormy weather has always evoked in me a feeling of timelessness — of a link with the past. I ponder about the residents of St. Augustine during storms in centuries ago. St. Augustinian Alonso Las Alas reported that in September 1599 the ocean had covered the island in front of the city. With our recent storm surges, it is easy to envision this wash over. Las Alas also recalled that the sea water was almost face high at his own house in the city.
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Remember that until the early 1940s the St. Augustine Inlet was not directly in front of Castillo de San Marcos. That passage is manmade to provide a shorter and better water route into or out of St. Augustine. The entry into St. Augustine's harbor had been near today's walkovers at Anastasia State Park.
Conch Island was not yet a barrier island, but a string of sand bars. The south tip of Vilano Beach was stranded, so to say, when it was cut off during the creation of the inlet. It has anchored Conch Island on the north. The sand bars have joined together and dunes have built up over the decades.
How many times did storm water cover the north end of Anastasia Island? Most of the time there was no reason to report the flooding. Until the middle of the 1920s that part of the Anastasia Island was marsh. Storm surge caused little damage or misery. The 1944 hurricane covered the streets of the city with water. By then the marsh on Anastasia Island had been filled to create Davis Shores. But in 1944, there were few structure yet built in today's Davis Shores.
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The storms are bringing muttering right now that it is time to move elsewhere. In light of the dismay and weariness from storm flooding, it is interesting to note why we have the comment of Alonso Las Alas about St. Augustine's being awash at the end of the 16th century.
Las Alas was relating his experiences and giving his opinions as part of a 1602 hearing to consider whether the Spanish crown should continue to support the existence of St. Augustine. Should its functions and residents be relocated? But it was not the flooding or weather that ignited the debate in 1602.
The Spanish crown was not sure that it was getting enough bang for its bucks. Maybe I should say "for its pesos." The Spanish Florida colony and St. Augustine were not self supporting and relied on an annual appropriation from the Spanish crown. The appropriation, known as the situado, also supported the missionizing of the Indians in Florida. The Spanish government questioned the level of success by the Catholic mission friars charged with bringing Christianity to the Native Americans.
Las Alas' remark about the storm surge was an aside to his testimony when he spoke about the value of St. Augustine as a harbor. Many witnesses spoke in favor of St. Augustine. Many others offered comment that opposed its survival. As we all know the Spanish crown decided to retain St. Augustine.
And here we are, still enduring the storms.
Susan R. Parker holds a doctorate in colonial history.
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: Susan Parker: St. Augustine has endured storms, floods over the years
