By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
DAYTONA EACH, Fla. -- Volusia County is making final preparations for this weekend’s anticipated arrival of Hurricane Isaias, securing the beach, activating a storm information telephone line and making sand and bags available to the public.
While impacts will be felt locally, current models show the storm moving up the Florida coast and remaining approximately 70-80 miles offshore of Volusia County. However, emergency management officials continue to closely monitor the storm’s path and progress, as any jog in its track could bring Isaias closer or further away from the Central Florida coast.
At this time, Volusia County has no plans for evacuations or shelter openings. But they’re prepared if things change. The Volusia County Emergency Operations Center in Daytona Beach will be staffed throughout the weekend.
“Right now, nobody’s anticipating any shelter openings,” Volusia County Emergency Management Director Jim Judge said during a Hurricane Isaias news briefing Friday afternoon. “But we are ready should the need arise.”
With the storm’s first impacts expected locally late Saturday afternoon, Judge urged residents to secure their homes – doing things like taking down wind chimes and hanging plants and moving trash cans and lawn furniture indoors – to prepare for the rain and high winds.
The biggest impacts are expected along the coast, with current projections of sustained tropical storm force winds of 35-45 mph on Sunday, higher squalls and rain totals of 2-4 inches along the coast and 1-2” inland, with the potential for higher pockets of rainfall. The projections, however, could change with the storm’s track.
Along the county’s beaches, items such as trash cans and portable restrooms are being removed in anticipation of high winds and a storm surge of 1-2 feet. With high tide at around 6:48 a.m. on Saturday and 7:40 a.m. on Sunday, county officials are advising that the storm surge could necessitate temporary closure of the beaches to vehicle traffic.
On Saturday, beginning at 8 a.m., the county will be offering free sand and sandbags at two locations until supplies last. Individuals must bring their own shovel and fill their own bags, with the number of bags limited to 10 per-vehicle. The locations are as follows:
- Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park, 1800 N. Ocean Shore Blvd, Ormond Beach
- Hiles Boulevard Beach Park, 4516 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach
Several cities also are offering sand bags. Information can be obtained by clicking on the link below:
On Friday, the county activated its Citizens Information Center to provide information about the storm. It will be open to field citizen calls until 6 p.m. today and again from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The phone number is 866-345-0345. Additional storm information is available at www.volusia.org/Isaias.