ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — In St. Augustine, major flooding for the second time in six weeks has been a one-two punch for those whose homes were badly damaged from Ian.
In Davis Shores, a couple that had nearly two feet of water in their home from Ian are dealing with even worse damage from Nicole because they're also dealing with diesel fuel that came from a lift station a few houses down the road.
First Coast News met Kenneth Thrower and Asheley Taylor at the end of September when they described floodwater as "bleeding through" their walls. Now the damage is worse.
"The entire yard and house is covered in a greasy film," Thrower said. "My feet and ankles, like from walking through the water, were tingling and itching and were really red."
The rainbow from fuel is visible in pictures Thrower took of the flooding outside and inside his home on Coquina Avenue. He just moved into it in April and it was damaged six weeks earlier by Ian.
St. Augustine Utilities Director Todd Grant says the lift station on Coquina Avenue that's under construction was operating as it was supposed to, but residual fuel in a catch pan went into the flooding.
"The contractor has bypass pumps and the catch pan for when you fill it up with diesel had some residual diesel and that leaked into the flood waters," Grant said. "We did dispatch the fire department. They determined that it wasn't a spill and there was no further action necessary."
That wasn't the end of it for Thrower and Taylor.
"There was definitely like fumes in the house," Thrower said. "We have two dogs and they both got sick. My next door neighbor's kid got like real sick."
First Coast News talked with Thrower over Zoom because he and Taylor are in Lake City staying with family. Inside their home the water level was almost about the same as Ian with nearly two feet of water inside, but the wind damage was worse.
"It was dripping like a faucet in the bedroom," Thrower said.
They're working with insurance and applying for grants, but are not sure what they'll return to.
"Hopefully it's maybe it's a little bit better, but you know, we kind of have to assess the house and kind of see how it is because it wasn't safe to stay in when we left."
Grant does not expect the diesel to become a problem again because he says construction should be finished soon.