Jekyll Island Took Devastating Blow From Irma, Officials Say

Though many of Georgia’s coastal communities took a harder hit during Hurricane Matthew last year, officials assessing the damage of Tropical Storm Irma say it carved a devastating path across Jekyll Island.

The Florida Times-Union reports that Irma blew past last October’s Hurricane Matthew, knocking down more trees, ripping away protecting dunes and cutting off the northern part of the island at high tide.

Irma took out 400 trees on the golf courses alone — 100 more than Matthew — destroyed six of 18 beach crossovers and caused seven water main breaks. Chief Operating Officer Noel Jensen gave that assessment at a recent board meeting of the Jekyll Island Authority.