Local News Now

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.

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 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.

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 photos by Sera Frederick. Photo at far left, David Hall, assistant street superintendent for New Smyrna Beach, updates Mayor Sally Mackay and Interim City Manager Khalid Resheidat  on the flooding situation at Columbus and Atlantic on the beachside. With them are local residents Matt Wilson, Jimmy Johnston and Frank Dalton.  In the photo above, Wilson walks through his front yard on Cedar Avenue.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Mayor Sally Mackay and interim City Manager Khalid Resheidat toured several flooded neighborhoods on the beachside during a lull in the rain this afternoon that has dumped 16.35 inches and counting.

NSBNEWS.net photo by Sera Frederick. A New Smyrna Beach Public Works employee guides runoff water from a hose into the ocean from nearby flooded streets Thursday caused by more than 16 inches of rain.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Volusia County remains under a Flood Warning until at least 6 a.m. Friday.

Additional rain is possible through the overnight hours, though rainfall amounts are forecasted to be less than one inch. With a 70-percent chance of rain forecasted for Friday, the Volusia County Emergency Operations Center will reopen at 8 a.m.

Courtesy photo. Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, will tour flooded areas of New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange Friday morning.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas will tour flooded areas of New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange on Friday morning to assess the damage and hear from Volusia County officials what additional help is needed, including a pledge to seek federal aid, if necessary to help flood victims who have had to cope with more than 16 inches of rain since Sunday.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- City officials are bracing for an additional two inches of rainfall over the next 24 hours, police spokesman Sgt. Michael Brouillette said at 5 p.m today.

That' in addition to the 16.35 inches that fell by 7 a.m. today since Sunday, as well as additional amounts sporadically during the day, according to reports from the National Weather Service in Melbourne. These totals are the highest in Volusia County, but still far less than 27 inches recorded in Bunnell in Flagler County.

City Crews are manning or have managed pumps in the following locations:

Isleboro

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Due to the interaction of a stalled cold front and an upper-level low-pressure system, abundant moisture has prevailed over Volusia County since Sunday, said Shelley Szafraniec, spokeswoman for Volusia County, with New Smyrna Beach leading the way with 16.35 inches as of 7 a.m. today.

FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
551 AM EDT THU MAY 21 2009
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE HAS EXTENDED THE
* FLOOD WARNING FOR URBAN AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS IN...VOLUSIA COUNTY IN FLORIDA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...OAK HILL...NEW SMYRNA BEACH...SOUTH DAYTONA...PORT ORANGE...PONCE INLET...PIERSON...OSTEEN...ORMOND
BEACH...ORANGE CITY...MAYTOWN...LAKE MONROE...LAKE HELEN...HOLLY HILL...EDGEWATER...DELTONA...DE LEON SPRINGS...DE LAND...DAYTONA
BEACH...BARBERVILLE...