Tropical Storm Ian updates: Flood warning still active along St. Johns River in Volusia
As Volusia County residents and government officials recover from the impacts of Tropical Storm Ian, county officials are regularly sending updates about things like closures, meetings and ways to get help.
Volusia County government officials released several updates this week. Here's a wrap-up.
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Flood warning still active in parts of Volusia
A flood warning was still in effect late Wednesday for the St. Johns River near DeLand and Astor thanks to Tropical Storm Ian.
According to the National Weather Service on Thursday, "Historic rainfall" from Ian will continue to produce flooding along several local rivers for some time. Along the St. Johns River, Astor will remain in major flood stage for the foreseeable future. The river will remain steady and just below record flood level through the rest of the week. Near Deland, the river will remain in major flood stage for the foreseeable future, rising toward record flood stage this week.
Parks, trails and sites
As of Wednesday, most county operated parks and trails were still closed. But the following parks and facilities had reopened:
Barkley Square Dog Park, DeLand
Cypress Lakes Park, DeLand
Ed Stone Park, DeLand (boat ramp is closed)
Spring Hill Park, DeLand
Sylvester Bruten Park, DeLand (two pavilions are closed)
Hope Place Play Yard, Daytona Beach
Rachel Robinson Play Yard at Daytona Beach Regional Library
Hester Park, DeLeon Springs
Lake Dias Park, DeLeon Springs (boat ramp is closed)
River Breeze Park, Oak Hill (boat ramp is closed)
Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park, Ormond Beach (two tennis courts are closed)
Lake George Park, Pierson
Seville Village Park, Seville
Several sites and trails maintained by the Volusia County Parks, Recreation and Culture Division are open:
DeBary Hall Historic Site
Osteen Civic Center
DeBary Pathway
DeLeon Springs Pathway
Highland Pathway
Pat Northey Pathway
Landfill and transfer station
The Tomoka Landfill and West Volusia Transfer Station are open but, as of Wednesday, they were operating under modified hours. The Tomoka Landfill, which is at 1990 Tomoka Farms Road in Port Orange, is open 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. The West Volusia Transfer Station, which is at 3151 E. New York Ave. in DeLand, is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m.to 3 p.m. Sunday. For information people can call 386-943-7889 or go to volusia.org/landfill.
Libraries
As of Wednesday, 13 of 14 Volusia County public libraries were open for normal hours. The John H. Dickerson Heritage Library at 411 S. Keech St. in Daytona Beach is closed until further notice because of flooding.
The Daytona Beach Regional Library reopened Wednesday for normal business hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Library staff can help residents with their applications for assistance for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Each library offers free computer use and Wi-Fi.
Power outages
On Wednesday, the county reported that electricity had been restored to all homes and business where possible. Some properties couldn't have power restored because of damage. Duke Energy had 91 customers without power, and Florida Power & Light Company reported 540 customers without power.
FEMA help for residents
Across Volusia County,18,512 residents have applied for help through FEMA’s Individual Assistance program, according to a Wednesday update from county officials.
People can apply at disasterassistance.gov, through the FEMA app or by calling 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. People who use a relay service, captioned telephone or other service can give FEMA the number for that service.
People can check the status of their applications through the FEMA app.
Shelter
As of Wednesday, 203 people were still staying in the shelter at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.
'A blessing to be dry': Hundreds of flood victims take refuge at American Red Cross shelter at Ocean Center
Small business loan program available
The Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program is available to provide "short-term, zero-interest loans to small businesses that experienced economic injury or physical damage due to Hurricane Ian," according to a county news release. The deadline for businesses to apply is Dec. 2, but funds may be gone before then. The program has $50 million available, and at least $10 million of that is set aside for agricultural producers across 22 counties, including Volusia and Flagler.
"Loans approved through the Emergency Bridge Loan Program are intended to 'bridge the gap' between the time a disaster impacts a business and when a business has secured longer term recovery funding such as federally or commercially available loans, insurance claims, or other resources,' according to the county. "Eligible small businesses may apply for loans of up to $50,000 through the program."
For information, people can go to floridajobs.org/EBL or call 833-832-4494 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Hazardous waste event canceled
Volusia County’s Solid Waste Division canceled the DeBary household hazardous waste collection event that was scheduled for Saturday at DeBary City Hall.
But the following collection events are still scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon:
Oct. 21 at the Ormond Beach Public Works at 501 N. Orchard St.
Oct. 22 at New Smyrna Beach Public Works at 124 Industrial Park Ave.
At these events, "Residents may drop off old paint, solvents, automobile and household batteries, pool chemicals, pesticides, motor oil, gasoline, other household chemicals, and up to 10 fluorescent lamps," according to the county. "Only unmixed household hazardous waste will be accepted. Insulin needles will be accepted in approved containers; the containers will not be returned. Businesses are not eligible for free disposal."
People can also drop off household hazardous waste for free any time at the Tomoka Landfill at 1990 Tomoka Farms Road in Port Orange or the West Volusia Transfer Station at 3151 E. New York Ave. in DeLand. Both facilities provide free paint exchange programs and electronic waste recycling.
For information, people can call Volusia County’s Solid Waste Division at 386-947-2952.
Volusia officials urge people to be careful about contracting scams
Residents should be careful when hiring unknown contractors and should "be especially alert for door-to-door solicitors who promise to speed up the permit process or ask for large cash deposits or advance payments in full," according to the county. "Look first to licensed local contractors who have performed well in the past. If they cannot help you, ask them to recommend another reputable contractor. Most contractors in the building industry are honest, but disasters attract scam artists."
Hiring a contractor who doesn't have proper licensing could open a homeowner up to a lawsuit if the contractor is injured.
"Most homeowners’ insurance policies will not pay a claim if the homeowner has contracted with an unlicensed individual," according to the county.
Watch for scammers: How to avoid getting scammed while you're recovering from Hurricane Ian
To find out if a person is locally licensed or state certified, call Volusia County’s Contractor Licensing Office at 386-736-5957, option 2, or visit the county’s Connect Live site at connectlivepermits.org and choose the contractor tab.
People can search for state-certified or registered contractors by clicking on the “Verify a license tab” at myfloridalicense.com/dbpr.
To report unlicensed contracting in unincorporated Volusia County, call the Contractor Licensing Office at 386-736-5957, option 2, or click on the “Report unlicensed activity” tab on the left side of the screen at myfloridalicense.com/dbpr.
Other tips from Volusia County officials:
"Get a written estimate. Compare services and prices before making a final decision. Read the fine print. Some contractors charge a fee for a written estimate, which may be applied to the price of subsequent repairs they make."
"Check references. Contractors should be willing to provide the names of previous customers. Call several former customers who had similar work done to make sure they were satisfied with the job."
"Ask for proof of insurance. Make sure the contractor carries general liability insurance and workers' compensation. If the contractor is not insured, the homeowner may be liable for accidents that occur on the property."
"Insist on a written contract. A complete contract should clearly state all the tasks to be performed, all associated costs and the payment schedule. Never sign a blank contract or one with blank spaces. Make sure the contract clearly states who will apply for the necessary permits or licenses. Have a lawyer review the contract if substantial costs are involved, and keep a copy for your records."
"Get guarantees in writing. Any guarantees made by the contractor should be written into the contract. The guarantee should clearly state what is guaranteed, who is responsible for the guarantee and how long the guarantee is valid."
"Obtain a local building permit. Permits may be required for site work, demolition and reconstruction. For permit information, call Volusia County’s Permit Center at 386-736-5929, option 5, or visit volusia.org/permitcenter."
"Have work inspected. If excavation work is being performed, make sure a city or county building inspector examines the work before it is hidden from view to avoid problems in the future."
"Make final payments when the work is completed. Do not sign completion papers or make the final payment until the work is completed to your satisfaction."
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Astor and DeLand expect to see more flooding from Tropical Storm Ian
