DAYTONA BEACH SHORES –
Daytona Beach Shores police and Volusia County deputies went
door-to-door inside 12 condo complexes and one hotel along
the beach on Wednesday that were under threat of collapse
due to the powerful storm surge caused by Tropical Storm
Nicole.
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“Our chief building
official had already deemed five of them unsafe, but after
the last high tide cycle, he found that the mitigation that
these properties had done to stop the damage from Ian had
failed and six more properties are now being evacuated,”
Chief Mike Fowler said.
Fowler added that there was a distinct possibility of
structural collapse at these 11 buildings; however, Sheriff
Mike Chitwood said the total number of buildings included 12
condo complexes and at least one hotel. Daytona Beach Shores
officials said Thursday there were additional properties
evacuated, bringing the total go 15.
“We don’t want to be in these buildings,” Fowler said.
“These buildings are not safe to be in. People did not heed
the warning that the county put out for a mandatory
evacuation of the entire beachside. So now we’ve got our
people in there and we’re trying to get them moved out as
soon as possible.” |
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Several homes and other buildings are in danger of
collapsing in Volusia County.
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According to city officials, the
buildings evacuated included St. Kitts, Grand Coquina, Twin
Towers North, Marbella, Pirates Cove and Sunglow Resort.
They were evacuated at about 2 p.m., the city said. The
buildings evacuated on Thursday include Castaways and Tower
Grand, officials said.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood said there were additional buildings
in danger of collapse in Wilbur-by-the-Sea.
Hurricane Nicole will continue to track westward toward the
east coast of Florida during the day, with anticipated
landfall near north Palm Beach County late Wednesday and
into early Thursday morning.
Flagler, Volusia and Brevard counties are expected to see
winds reaching 50 to 80 mph with 4 to 8 inches of rain.
A storm surge warning remains in effect for the entirety of
east Central Florida coast, for the potential of 3-5 feet of
surge above ground level and as much as 6 feet in spots.
Strong and gusty onshore winds through Wednesday night will
produce very high seas and large breaking waves. These
winds, high seas and surf will combine with high tides to
bring the threat of significant beach erosion around the
times of the high tide cycle.
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TWC's Jim Cantore and his
cameraman caught a partial collapse of a condo in Daytona
Beach Shores, Florida, during Nicole's wrath on the coast.
WATCH VIDEO
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TWC's Jim Cantore and his cameraman caught a partial
collapse of a condo in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida, during
Nicole's wrath on the coast.
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