VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Over the last five years, storms have shaken Volusia County’s coastline. Major recovery efforts are still happening from hurricanes that hit three years ago. Now, if another storm approaches this hurricane season, it could test many temporary fixes.
The beaches in Volusia County look very different than they did a few years ago. In Wilbur-by-the-Sea, where homes once stood, there are now empty lots. Some properties are hanging on the edge of cliffs, where pools and big backyards used to extend over a wide beach.
Most of the damage was caused by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022. Residents are hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself this year.
[Homes collapse into ocean after Nicole strikes Florida. Watch below]
Krista Goodrich, a property manager, shared her concerns about all of the homeowners having to rebuild.
“They spent at least $100,000 in sand. God knows what their seawall cost, and those aren’t covered costs by insurance. I understand people think, ‘Oh, they live on the beach.’ Well, living on the beach doesn’t mean you have an endless supply of money,” she said.
In November 2022, during Hurricane Nicole, News 6 stood with Goodrich at one of her properties on a pool deck, watching homes next door collapse into the wild storm surge.
She said the vulnerability is still there for many of the homes that managed to survive if another storm hits.
“Once it goes under the pool, we’re in the exact same situation,” she explained.
Giant sandbags, called trap bags, now stand where seawalls once were. Many property owners are still figuring out funding, insurance and permits to rebuild. This leaves homes and businesses vulnerable if another storm hits.
“If you’re in Iowa and you make corn and suddenly you can’t make corn, your industry is out of business. Our industry is tourism and the beach,” Goodrich said.
Volusia County is still working to rebuild beach parks and walkovers. They are also working to renourish the beaches. In April, the county started a dredging project in Ponce Inlet to replace sand washed away in the storms.
James Gavin owns Ocean Inlet Surf Shop in Ponce. He sees the crews on the beach as a welcome sight for business and peace of mind.
“For now, this is what we have. You just gotta live through it!” he said. “Here we rent bikes, surfboards, paddle boards and kayaks. Also, for our surf camp, the waves are getting better with more sand filled in. The sand will help Wilbur, where they had a lot of erosion from the last hurricanes.”