FL

Storm restoration across Volusia County

Volusia County faces a dual threat: direct Atlantic storm surge on its barrier island coastline (Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna Beach beachside) where surge can reach 20 feet or more in a major hurricane, and severe riverine flooding inland from the Halifax, Tomoka, Indian, and St. Johns Rivers, which can produce six-foot riverine surge that swamps neighborhoods far from the coast. Hurricane Matthew (2016) damaged more than 4,800 homes, businesses, and government facilities countywide, and Hurricane Irma (2017) produced record inland flooding that exceeded all damage from the active 2004 season (Charley, Frances, Jeanne combined). Hurricane Milton (2024) delivered over 15 inches of rainfall, flooded homes to 12 inches internally in South Daytona and Edgewater, and triggered additional St. Johns River flooding weeks after the storm passed. The county's low-lying coastal lands sit predominantly below 10 feet above mean sea level, and research published in the journal Disasters has documented a damage tipping point where Category 4 surge causes disproportionately greater infrastructure loss than Category 3 and below.