Commissioner Lisa Martin plans to hold the first of several meetings

Mike Springer,Matt Reeser
·2 min read

When Hurricane Ian hit Volusia County in September, much of the area was flooded.

Less than a month later Hurricane Nicole ravaged the coast with high winds and waves, wreaking havoc on an already battered coast.

The city of New Smyrna Beach experienced extensive damage.

Erosion from Nicole wiped away sea walls, destroyed dunes and left the foundations of many homes compromised.

Now weeks later residents are still working to recover.

Questions about insurance, repairing sea walls and Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance are just some of the things on the minds of many residents.

Read: How Hurricanes Ian, Nicole impacted the Central Florida system

That’s why New Smyrna Beach zone 2 city Commissioner Lisa Martin is hosting a listening session at the Cornado Civic Center Tuesday night.

Martin said she is looking for feedback from residents about what they experienced and what questions they may have going forward.

Read: ‘It’s unsettling’: New Smyrna Beach residents wake up to widespread damage following Nicole

“People are shocked, they’re scared. They need to know their city is listening to them and hearing what happened and how we can help them heal,” Martin said.

She says she wants to use the information from residents to help the city create a comprehensive database to evaluate how extensive the damage is and how to possibly mitigate any future damage.

Video: Mysterious structure unearthed by erosion in Volusia County

“I’ve seen water up to people’s front porch steps just from rainy-day events. I believe we need to understand better how to handle water in our city,” Martin added.

Martin plans to take the information gathered at Tuesday night’s meeting and bring it to city staff in hope of providing answers and helping people take the next step forward to rebuild.

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