VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Parts of Volusia County’s coastline continue to crumble, nearly a year and half after hurricanes Ian and Nicole made landfall in 2022.
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The county’s Coastal Director, Jessica Fentress, said because the changes to the beaches profile didn’t happen overnight, a solution won’t either.
However, the first steps are now beginning through a feasibility study that costs more than $460,000 and will be covered by grants through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
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Engineers will perform historical surveys that will help explain erosion and predict future changes.
Residents also have a role to play in the process. County leaders want to know how homeowners feel about submerged artificial reefs and dune enhancement projects.
Some neighbors like George Drellos, aren’t sure any of that will make a difference.
“How are you gonna stop a hurricane from coming up and destroying everything that you did? Ya know, we bought here, we know what could happen and it is what it is,” Drellos said.
Meanwhile, Fentress explained the goal of the study and community input is for the county to be better covered in the future.
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“So that Volusia County can partner with funding agencies, whether that be at the state or federal level,” Fentress said.
The county will soon begin hosting public forums so people can share their ideas. In the meantime, county leaders said erosion has led to more debris washing up on the beaches, even some from the 2004 hurricanes.
They’re asking residents to pick it up whenever they see it. They also plan to host county-wide beach clean up events in the next couple of weeks.
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