Much of Coastal Volusia Eroded by Nicole

Huge swaths of Volusia County’s coastline are experiencing extreme erosion due to the effects of Hurricane Nicole overnight Wednesday and Thursday. Several buildings have been deemed unsafe, and untold amounts of sand have been washed away from the beaches. Bridges across the county have been inspected by law enforcement, with some beginning to open up to the public. All bridges were closed late Wednesday night to the public, with only emergency personnel allowed over. A curfew was put in place for Volusia east of the intracoastal waterway on Wednesday, which will extend until 7:00 am Friday. Residents are still being asked to limit unnecessary driving and sightseeing until safety measures can be put in place and emergency responders can do their jobs. Three shelters remain open: Creekside Middle School in Port Orange, Heritage Middle School in Deltona, and David C. Hinson Middle School in Daytona Beach. David C. Hinson will accommodate special needs occupants, and all three shelters are open to pets. Daytona Beach Shores was hit particularly hard before Nicole even made landfall; a huge portion of solid ground on the beach has been eroded away entirely. In New Smyrna Beach many structures are severely threatened or ruined by the damage. As with much of Central Florida, the damages of Hurricane Nicole are exacerbated by the impacts of September’s Hurricane Ian, which left much of the state’s coastal defense systems weakened.