- November 23, 2024
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Ormond Beach city employee Devon Spicer helps carry sandbags for residents at Nova Community Center on Monday, Oct. 7, in preparation of Hurricane Milton. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Bill Smith directs drivers at the city's sandbag self-serve pile at Nova Community Center on Monday, Oct. 7, in preparation of Hurricane Milton. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
People fill sandbags at the city's self-serve sand pile at Nova Community Center on Monday, Oct. 7, in preparation of Hurricane Milton. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
People fill sandbags at the city's self-serve sand pile at Nova Community Center on Monday, Oct. 7, in preparation of Hurricane Milton. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Beach resident Devon Spicer helps residents fill sandbags at Nova Community Center on Monday, Oct. 7, in preparation of Hurricane Milton. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Cars line up at Nova Community Center on Monday, Oct. 7, in preparation of Hurricane Milton, to fill sandbags. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
The city of Ormond Beach is working to ensure it stays one step ahead of Hurricane Milton, which is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida as a major storm Wednesday.
Flooding and trees are the two big focuses of the city, Assistant City Manager Shawn Finley said. Two weeks ago, in preparation of Hurricane Helene, the city took down park shade structures and inspected its stormwater pipes for obstructions. The Central Park lakes were pumped down in anticipation of increased rainfall.
"The good thing is we hopefully have done enough up to this point that we're pretty well prepared coming into the event," Finley said.
In a Volusia County press conference held at 4 p.m. on Oct. 7, Volusia County Emergency Management Director Clint Mecham said some areas of Volusia County could expect to see "up to a foot of rainfall."
"This is a substantial threat,” Mecham said. “Don't be fooled or get complacent with the reports that this storm will lose its intensity by the time it reaches us: We're still going to get hit very, hard.”
Volusia County residents are advised to finish preparations by Tuesday morning — including securing outdoor objects like yard furniture and Halloween decorations.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced a curfew would be instated for the county extending from 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9 to 8 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10.
County Manager George Recktenwald also announced that Volusia County has issued evacuation orders for the following areas beginning 8 a.m. Wednesday: areas east of the Intracoastal Waterway, those in manufactured or mobile homes, at camp sites and RV parks and other low-lying and flood-prone areas.
The county will be opening multiple emergency shelters, beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday, including at Mainland High School and the Volusia County Fairgrounds, Recktenwald said. The Fairgrounds location will be pet friendly.
Ormond Beach's sandbags operations at Nova Community Center are also active. Many people came out Sunday to fill sandbags, and on Monday, a line stretched north on Nova Road.
City staff is scanning the city on Monday as well to collect as much debris as possible to help WastePro.
"We've seen storms that, in the past few years, we thought were going in one direction and hit a pivot point and turn," Finley said. "So we need to be prepared when a storm in coming that it's going to make a movement that's going to be the worst case scenario for us, and so that's really what we do every single time."
Volusia County will also continue distributing sandbags at the following locations until 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 8.
