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FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
807 AM EDT FRI MAY 22 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...NORTHEASTERN VOLUSIA COUNTY IN FLORIDA... THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...NEW SMYRNA BEACH...SOUTH DAYTONA...
PORT ORANGE...PONCE INLET...ORMOND BEACH...HOLLY HILL... EDGEWATER...DAYTONA BEACH...

* UNTIL 1100 AM EDT.

* AT 805 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A PERSISTENT BAND OF SHOWERS AND STORMS MOVING ONSHORE FROM THE

NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas speaks to Central Florida media outlets at the Port Orange City Hall after touring flooded areas of New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange this morning. She was on her way to Lake Mary to meeting with FEMA officials at noon.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A Congresswoman Susanne Kosmas passed through the Greenbriar Apartments on Roberts Street off State Road 44 in a police escort this morning to get a first-hand view of the massive flooding from five days of rainfall, an elderly woman stod huddled in front of her door, a semi-circle of sandbags stacked knee-high in front of her.

"The primary concern is safety of the people," said Kosmas, the first-term Democrat and New Smyrna Beach resident, whose 24th Congressional district represents parts of four Central Florida counties.

NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick. Congresswoman Susanne Kosmas, D-24th, speaks with reporters outside Port Orange City Hall this morning after touring flooded areas of New Smyrna Beach before seeing flooded areas here as well. See our previous story posting on her NSB tour.

NSBNEWS.net photo by Sera Frederick. Sandbags aren't enough to keep excess rainwater out of this house off Atlantic Avenue.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Gov. Charlie Crist this afternoon declared a State of Emergency for the counties of Volusia, Flagler, Brevard, Seminole, Orange, Putnam, St. Johns, Clay and Duval.

Volusia has been hardest hit among the nine Central and North Florida Counties, with $52 million in property damage estimated by Volusia Property Appraiser Morgan Gilreath. Nearly 1,000 homes across from Volusia have been damaged by the flooding and portions of Daytona International Speedway are submerged in water. In New Smyrna Beach, 52 homes are damaged by flooding and the city is running 18 pumps around the clock to try and alleviate massive water build-up.

Courtesy photo. A service will be held 10 a.m. Saturday for Pearl Hampton of New Smyrna Beach, Florida's oldest person at 111.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A celebration of the life will be held Saturday for New Smyrna Beach resident Pearl Hampton at the Allen Chapel AME Church. She passed away May 15, at the age of 111.

The 10 a.m. service at the church, 3444 Sheldon St., will be officiated by Pastor Michael Price. She was a church member. Hampton, the oldest living resident in the state of Florida at the time of her death, is on the Gerontology Research Group list of Validated Supercentenarian with ages from 110 to 115 worldwide (web address www.grg.-.org./Adams/E.HTM).

NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. New Smyrna Beach city employes work through driving rains Friday to pump water from side streets off Atlantic Avenue, including this one at Columbus.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Here is an update of the flooding situation in the city going into the weekend as provided by police spokesman Sgt. Michael Brouillette:

The current estimated residential / multi-family / commercial-stores / structure damage value is: $3,148,356.

Stanley J. Kozak, 79, of New Smyrna Beach, an aerospace technical engineer for Weston Instruments, Inc., Newark, N.J., for 33 years before his retirement, died Friday, May 22, 2009.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas, D-24th from New Smyrna Beach, issued the following statement today on the announcement that President Obama intends to nominate General Charles Bolden as the new NASA Administrator:

"The nomination of General Bolden to lead NASA is a positive sign for the future of our human spaceflight program. General Bolden's background has given him the relevant management and technical experience to address the great challenges facing NASA today.

EDGEWATER -- Here is an update on the flooding situation in Edgewater as reported by Edgewater Fire Chief Stephen Cousins as of this morning:

Damage
* There have been 2 reports of residences with minor flood damage. (No displacement at this time)
* Minor issues of trees/limbs on power lines have been reported.

NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. A swimming advisory is in effect for a stretch of New Smyrna Beach, south of Flagler Avenue, where excess rainwater is being piped into the ocean to allviate street flooding.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The Volusia County Health Department has issued a swimming advisory for the Columbus Avenue area of the beach.

"This swimming advisory is necessary because in an effort to alleviate flooding in the area the City of New Smyrna Beach is pumping flood water from local neighborhoods to the beach," said Shelley Szafraniec, Volusia County spokeswoman. "The water has not been tested for bacteria, but is likely to contain increased levels of bacteria. Advisory signs are being posted at this site."