VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – While most Volusia County cities are making progress on flood mitigation, Daytona Beach residents in the Midtown neighborhood are still waiting for help — and growing more anxious with every storm in the forecast.
Volusia County and representatives from each of its cities met Thursday to discuss where their flood mitigation efforts stand. Most cities have experienced flooding during recent hurricanes and even routine rain events, and nearly all arrived with robust plans in place. Daytona Beach was the exception for Midtown.
For residents living in that area, the threat is constant. Many keep sandbags ready at a moment’s notice — not just for hurricanes, but for any heavy rain in the forecast.
“I feel like we just been left alone out there in the valley, and and no one is coming to help us. You know, I mean, we need help,” said resident Patricia Singleton.
Singleton has flooded numerous times and said preparation has become a way of life in her neighborhood.
“That’s why we just keep our bags available, just in case. If we have a little surprise and we get the heavy rain,” Singleton said.
Midtown was severely impacted by hurricanes in 2022, but residents say lesser storms have also left floodwaters behind. Two weeks ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers concluded its study of the area and determined that no available solution would be cost-effective for the city, leaving residents and officials searching for another path forward.
The city says it is now working with the county to find a regional fix. Daytona Beach Utilities Director Shannon Ponitz said conversations are underway and crews are doing what they can in the meantime.
“We’re working with them for possibly a regional project with the other sister cities and projects within our city,” Ponitz said.
“We’re just doing everything that we can to maintain the existing system so that there’s some available capacity,” she said.
With Midtown identified as a major flood concern in the county, Singleton said she hopes a real solution comes sooner rather than later.
“Yeah, we don’t want to get flooded. I was just talking about that. I said, oh, my God, if we get flooded again, here we go. We’ve got to start all over again,” Singleton said.