Headline Surfer photo illustration / Screenshot from Volusia County beach cam on Dunlawton Avenue ramp shows a nearly empty beach save for a few walkers in anticipation of Tropical Storm Isaias’ arrival off the Central Florida coastline overnight tonight with rain and winds gusting between 65-75 mph.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
Volusia’s County’s Votran transportation system temporarily suspended service at 3 p.m. today to prepare for Tropical Storm Isaias’ continued movement up the Florida coast.
"And with no one staying there, Volusia County has closed its last shelter at Galaxy Middle School in Deltona," county spokesman Gary Davidson told Headline Surfer. "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Votran is expected to resume normal operations on Monday after the storm has moved out of the area.
"And with no one staying there, Volusia County has closed its last shelter at Galaxy Middle School in Deltona," county spokesman Gary Davidson told Headline Surfer. "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Votran is expected to resume normal operations on Monday after the storm has moved out of the area.
All court facilities in the 7th Judicial Circuit will be closed on Monday because of the anticipated worsening weather conditions from Tropical Storm Isaias. Chief Judge Raul Zambrano announced the closure for the four-county circuit that encompasses Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties.
In Volusia County, first appearances will go on as scheduled at 1:30 p.m. on Monday at the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach. Decisions regarding first appearances in Flagler, Putnam, and St. Johns counties will be made by the judges in those respective counties.
Unless unforeseen circumstances occur, court operations throughout the circuit are expected to resume on Tuesday.
Isaias is expected to skirt Central Florida's coastline overnight Sunday. It was moving up near Vero Beach with northern outer bands near Melbourne.
As Tropical Storm Isaias was advancing on Florida's Atlantic shores, state authorities have closed beaches, parks and COVID-19 virus testing sites, and strapped street signs to palm trees so they wouldn’t blow away.
The governor said the state is anticipating power outages and asked residents to have a week’s supply of water, food and medicine on hand even as many are unemployed due to the pandemic.
Rain bands from Isaias and wind gusts of 65 mph also were reported along the South Florida shoreline this afternoon.
Upper-level winds took much of the strength out of Isaias, said Stacy Stewart, senior hurricane specialist at the Hurricane Center. in Miami, slowing it down considerably.
“We were expecting a hurricane to develop and it didn’t,” Stewart said. She said dangerous storm surge remains a possibility along where water inundation of 2 to 4 feet could occur.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday declared a state of emergency in every coastal county, from Miami-Dade to Nassau counties, in preparation for Isaias, which was initially a hurricane before it was downgraded to a tropical storm by dusk on Saturday.
Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched 12 years ago that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed more than a hundred journalism industry awards in print & online -- more than than all other members of the working press combined in Central Florida since the mid-1990s. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism with academic honors from Full Sail University in 2019. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary programs on Discovery ID and Reelz for his investigative reporting and cops & courts breaking news stories.