Martin, St. Lucie counties offer sand bags for residents to help protect against water damage

Dozens of people poured into Halpatiokee Park in Stuart and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dreamland and Jaycee parks in Fort Pierce Tuesday to shovel pounds of sand into bags under the rain.

Sand bags help prevent or reduce flood water damage. Sandbags can act as a barrier to divert moving water around, instead of through, buildings.

In St. Lucie County, the free self-serve sandbag stations are being replenished Wednesday for residents at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dreamland Park on South 25th St., Pioneer Park on Avenues M and N at 29th Street, and at Jaycee Park on South Hutchinson Island. 

More:What you need to know Tuesday on the Treasure Coast about Hurricane Ian 

Hurricane Ian is forecast to rage through west Florida. But people shared one thought in particular: the storm can always change.

“I’ve lived through enough hurricanes to know that things change,” said Jennifer Owens, of Stuart.

People surrounded a huge pile of sand with their shovels and scooped up hundreds of pounds in sand.

Living near the ocean, Michelle Scott said she was bracing herself for any flooding.

“In ‘95, we had a flood and it almost came in our house, so we had 12 inches of rain in about 3 hours,” Scott said. “This is a big hurricane, so we could get a lot of rain.”

Michele Drake, a member of the board of directors for the Hobe Center for Autism in Stuart, said she was preparing to keep the school from getting damaged.

“We just want to make sure the school stays safe and dry, so the kids when they come back to school, are ready to start back on the very first day,” Drake said.