Vilano Beach house in precarious position after Tropical Storm Ian erodes sand, structure

A two-story beach house on Vilano Beach is in a precarious position Friday morning after storm surge and tide during Tropical Storm Ian eroded the sand and structure beneath the building. The house's wooden stilts are completely exposed with no sand or structure to support the bottom of the house.

An "unsafe" sticker was placed on the home for building officials and inspectors to determine the extent of the damage and what is needed to protect it, said Lorena Inclán, public affairs director for St. Johns County. Building officials will work with the owner when that happens to figure out the next steps.

News4Jax first reported the work around the house on Friday morning.

Local damage from Ian: St. Johns County reports 'significant' flooding, more than 300 rescue calls amid storm

Ian death toll: Florida officials say at least 21 deaths could be tied to Hurricane Ian

Destruction and desperation:: See Hurricane Ian damage city by city across Florida

By 12:15 p.m., Florida Department of Transportation employees were on-site shoring up the road near the house with gravel and sandbags. The workers appeared to focus on filling the eroded parts of the highway and did not appear to be doing work to stabilize the house.

Inclán said during a 12:30 p.m. phone call that she was unsure of what work FDOT personnel were doing at the site. She added that "no other houses right now facing this condition" where it appears there is a risk of the home being taken away by the surf.

Several St. Johns County Fire and Rescue employees were also there flying a drone around the house.

It's unclear who owns the house.

Neighbors and surfers paused to take photos and videos of the house as the FDOT employees worked.

Teresa, who lives in Turtle Shores, a nearby neighborhood, told the Times-Union that the damage done to the house is "pretty much the worst of it."

"The rest is OK," she said. "It was just right in that spot. Right in the sweet spot."

Katherine Lewin is the enterprise reporter at the Times-Union covering criminal and social justice issues in Northeast Florida. Email her at klewin@jacksonville.com or follow on Twitter @KatherineMLewin. Contact her for her Signal number to share anonymous tips and documents. Support local journalism!

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Tropical Storm Ian storm surge erodes Vilano Beach house's structure