ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – A stretch of Atlantic Boulevard in Atlantic Beach was closed for several hours Tuesday after steady rain left about a foot of standing water covering the roadway, city officials said.
The Atlantic Beach Police Department said Atlantic Boulevard was shut down from East Coast Drive to the oceanfront because the water made the area unsafe for drivers.
For people who live nearby, the flooding was familiar.
“A lot of rain. Always floods out here every time it rains. We kind of expect it,” Tim Hembree, a longtime resident, said.
Hembree said he was doing his best to stay dry. He said he was staying inside and drained his pool before grabbing a bite to eat.
“We needed some rain, but we didn’t need it all in 5 days, but it is what it is,” he said.
While the flooding created headaches for drivers, some children still tried to make the most of the weather, splashing in puddles as the rain continued.
The city of Atlantic Beach said its public works team began lowering aquatic pond water levels Monday morning and pumping was expected to continue into the evening. Crews also removed debris from grate inlets, culverts, ditches and swales to maximize flow capacity.
The city said recent drainage improvement projects helped reduce impacts in other parts of Atlantic Beach, including work near Aquatic, Mary Street, Dutton Island and Howell Park, as well as ditch clearings.
The roadway reopened after several hours. Officials urged drivers to use caution during heavy rain and avoid driving through standing water.
Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.