Daytona Beach and Port Orange open sandbag stations for residents

Volusia County Emergency Management officials are keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Idalia, which is predicted to become a hurricane near western Cuba tonight. Idalia is forecasted to move ashore north of Tampa Wednesday morning. Once inland, Idalia will likely weaken to a tropical storm as it tracks toward southeastern Georgia Wednesday evening.

In Volusia County, wind gusts could approach tropical storm force Wednesday. Isolated power outages and pockets of damage are possible. Rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches could cause street flooding and travel delays.

“This is potentially a serious situation for Volusia County,” said Emergency Management Director Clint Mecham. “We encourage everyone to monitor weather reports, make a family plan, and consider stocking a disaster supply kit.”

Mecham expects Volusia County to be placed under a Tropical Storm Watch shortly, with additional watches and warnings to follow. The Emergency Operations Center is under a level 2 activation.

County staff is maintaining continuous communication with the Florida Department of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service, local municipalities, Volusia County Schools, and other partners. The Emergency Operations Center is staffed and will transition to partial activation if conditions warrant it.

Volusia County will open its Citizens Information Center from noon to 6 p.m. today, Aug. 28. It will also be open 24 hours beginning Tuesday, Aug. 29, until further notice. Residents may call 866-345-0345 for information about the storm, sandbags, disaster preparation and community resources.

In light of the projected easterly swells from Hurricane Franklin and the impending elevated high tide levels coinciding with the upcoming full moon on Wednesday, there is the potential for dangerous rip currents and heightened beach erosion. Residents and visitors are advised to stay out of the ocean until these conditions subside.

All coastal contractors must secure their work sites by end of day Tuesday, Aug. 29, and remain offsite until further notice.

Volusia County

Volusia County will operate self-service sandbag stations from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, and Tuesday, Aug. 29, at:

• Road and Bridge facility, 2560 W. State Road 44, DeLand

• Road and Bridge facility, 200 State Road 415, Osteen

Residents can also pick up pre-filled sandbags at the Volusia County Branch Jail, 1300 Red John Road, Daytona Beach, from 2 to 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29. There is a limit of five bags per vehicle.

Daytona Beach

• The City of Daytona Beach will offer sandbags from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, at Bethune Point Park, 11 Bellevue Ave. Residents are asked to bring a shovel to fill sandbags. There is no charge for sandbags, and there is a 10-bag limit per vehicle. If demand and conditions warrant, sandbag operations will be extended Tuesday.

DeBary

Sandbags are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, and Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 16 Colomba Road. Residents should bring a shovel and identification. There is a limit of 10 bags per residence.

The City of DeLand will offer sand and bags to residents from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, in the parking lot south of Melching Field, 601 S. Woodland Blvd. Tuesday’s hours will be announced. Residents should bring a shovel and identification. There is a limit of 10 bags per residence.

Two self-service sandbag locations are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, at:

• Festival Park, 191 Howland Blvd.

• 2931 Day Road

Bags will be provided. Residents should bring a shovel and someone to help with the bagging process.

The City of Edgewater stocked three locations with sand piles:

• Fire Station 57, 2628 Hibiscus Drive (open 24 hours a day)

• Mango Tree Lake, 901 Mango Tree Drive (currently closed)

• Airpark staging area, 1898 Airpark Road (currently closed)

Residents should bring their own shovels and bags.

Orange City residents may pick up sandbags from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, at the Waggin’ Trail Dog Park, 1201 S. Leavitt Ave. Residents should bring a shovel and identification and fill their own bags. There is a limit of 10 sandbags per household. ID is required. If the demand is still high at 4 p.m., the site will remain open to serve residents.

A self-serve sand pile and fillable sandbags are available at the Nova Community Center, 440 N. Nova Road, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Ormond Beach residents can show their ID to receive up to 10 fillable bags. Residents should bring a shovel and fill and load the bags into their vehicles.

The Town of Ponce Inlet is providing sand and sandbags from noon to 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, and Tuesday, Aug. 29, at the Ponce Inlet Community Center, 4670 S. Peninsula Drive. Residents should bring a shovel and fill their own bags. There is a limit of 10 bags per resident, and identification is required. Hurricane passes will also be available.

The City of Port Orange will operate a self-service sandbag site from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29, in the field next to the REC Center, 4655 City Center Circle. Residents must bring identification and a shovel. Staff will provide bags. There is a limit of 10 sandbags per person.

Sandbags are available from noon to 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, at the Piggotte Community Center, 504 Big Tree. Residents should bring proof of residency.

Residents can stay informed by visiting www.volusia.org/pin and downloading the Volusia County EM app, which is available for free on the Google Play or App Store. The app features weather alerts and current conditions, preparedness checklists, links to county sites, locations of the nearest open shelter and sandbag distribution sites, evacuation information, push notifications and more.

Residents are also encouraged to follow Volusia County Emergency Management on Facebook, subscribe to the County of Volusia YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/vcyoutubesubscribe, and sign up for emergency notification phone alerts at www.volusia.org/emergency.