More erosion, rain possible in Volusia with storm week ahead

With county residents and government officials still recovering from the impact of Tropical Storm Ian, more inclement weather is on the way, though not quite as intense as the last blast.

But fortunately, at least some help is on the way. Volusia County officials said at the County Council meeting this week that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has, through an emergency order, waived a few requirements for building seawalls.

The waivers may be a bit too late though to help shore up against the low-pressure system headed this way. The system is expected to bring large waves and rain and possible coastal flooding and erosion to Volusia County starting this weekend and intensifying through the middle of next week, said Kole Fehling, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

Beach-dwellers, meanwhile, are still repairing structures along the coast and beyond, assessing damage and dealing with high-water levels.

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Fehling said it's too early to tell whether the area of low pressure, which is northeast of the Bahamas, may morph into something stronger. But it is expected to bring repeated rounds of heavy rainfall and dangerous ocean conditions with larger waves starting this weekend and increasing in danger through Wednesday, he said.

"Beach erosion will be a concern," he said, as will coastal flooding.

Fortunately, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has, through an emergency order, waived a few requirements for building seawalls.

The waivers give more flexibility on how a seawall can be rebuilt and under what circumstances. Typically, for example, a seawall wouldn't be allowed after 1985, said Paolo Soria, senior assistant county attorney. Now people can get a permit to build one if the property is deemed vulnerable. Also, seawall construction can occur while beach renourishment is happening, which under normal circumstances would not be allowed, he said.

Councilwoman Billie Wheeler asked whether a condominium complex that did not have a seawall before the storm could now get one.

"It depends on whether their structure is vulnerable," Soria said, adding usually that means the foundation of a building is exposed.

Though there is more freedom to build a seawall, people still have to get a permit and there are requirements involved, he said.

A FDEP representative is available all week to talk with the public during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 440 South Beach St. in Daytona Beach. For information people can also call 386-238-4668.

"I urge everybody who is an oceanfront property owner who is nervous or concerned about the security of their structure to take advantage of this opportunity to go and talk to FDEP in person," Coastal Division Director Jessica Fentress said. "Have a conversation with them. Talk about solutions. .. if you don't qualify (for something), what can you do today?"

In other storm news, as of Tuesday, the countywide damage assessment was over $340 million, said Jim Judge, interim director of emergency management. And 301 people were checked into hotels and motels across the county as part of Temporary Sheltering Assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Beach driving access limited, officials warn people to heed warnings

Volusia County's coastline lost enough sand in Tropical Storm Ian that the window for beach driving is about two to four hours each day, county Public Works Director Ben Bartlett said.

"Which is a significant drop," Bartlett said, adding that officials are working on maximizing access.

"We're hoping for some of that sand to come back, and we're looking at other things we can possibly do to help with that," he said.

The county's plan for beach ramp access during the off season, which lasts through Feb. 1, is to have 15 beach ramps open on weekdays and 17 open on the weekends,

Officials are also working on repairing pedestrian walkovers and other access points that were damaged.

People can go to the Volusia Beaches mobile app for the latest on beach access.

Many parts of the beach are still unsafe or closed off to people. Fentress said parks are the priority, and crews are working hard to get access back open in closed areas.

She also urged people to avoid closed areas along the coastline because they are dangerous.

"We put the barriers in place for reasons. ... We've got closed signs on walkovers that have 30-foot dropoffs off the end of them in Wilbur-by-the-Sea," Fentress said. "Do not climb over the sign and stand on a walkway that has no structural support under it."

She said there are cave-ins behind seawalls and barriers in place to keep people off pavers that could fall through.

Wheeler also urged people to be safe.

"I don't think everybody understands how badly we were hit, and they're just wanting to get back on the beach, and it's truly not safe in so many areas. And the lighthouse area is one of them," she said.

She added later, "Don't get your towels and your children up against the seawalls that are leaning. This is not safe. And I know you want to be on there, but this is not the time to do it."

Debris cleanup

As of Monday, the county and its contractor had collected 160,000 cubic yards of vegetative debris and 15,000 cubic yards of construction and demolition debris, Bartlett said. Construction and demolition debris comes in slower, he said.

Bartlett said he expects to see a steady stream of debris being picked up over the next 20-30 days. He said the county wants to get as much picked up and disposed of by Nov. 22 because the county will get 100% of the cost reimbursed through that date.

More details on record-breaking event

Bartlett gave perspective about how severe the water levels rose by highlighting Lake Monroe.

Before Tropical Storm Ian hit, Lake Monroe was at 3.96 feet, Bartlett said.

"It crested on Oct. 9 at 8.95 feet. That's a huge, huge increase, and we can understand how fast that water came up," he said.

The water level was at 7.16 feet on Monday. The previous record elevation was 8.51 feet in 1953, according to his presentation.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Tropical Storm Ian: Volusia could see more erosion, rain