Hurricane Matthew damages Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier

Portion of pier remains closed for inspection

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. – The Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier has reopened after Hurricane Matthew brushed Florida's east coast, but a part of it remained closed Friday until a structural inspection is complete.

The storm surge from Matthew ripped off a railing to the pier and left pieces of the wooden floor loose, the result of waves that reached at least 20 feet high.

"We're, you know, very fortunate, just a little damage to the pier," resident Brett Bartholomew said. "But other than that, you know, not too bad."

Some wiring on the pier was damaged in the storm, as were the navigational lights.

"Everything that is blocked off, it is blocked off for a reason," city spokeswoman Rebecca Medina Stewart said. "We have floorboards that are loose, and it is not a safe situation."

While engineers work to make sure the pier is secure, city employees were doing what they could to restore the sand caused by beach erosion.

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