The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Volusia County at 1:34 a.m. Thursday. The warning also applies to Brevard, parts of Lake and Orange counties. It ends at 4:30 am
“Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain in the warned area. Between 5 and 9 centimeters of rain have fallen. Additional rain amounts of 7 to 15 centimeters are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or they are expected to start soon,” forecasters warned.
The flooding is caused by Hurricane Milton, which made landfall near Siesta Key on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. with winds of 125 miles per hour. It immediately began moving east to northeast across the state toward Volusia County.
At 11 p.m., the storm occurred in a rural area of Polk County, south of Orlando. Although the center of the storm had not yet reached the Volusia-Flagler area, it was still causing major damage. In Daytona Beach, gusts of more than 75 mph were recorded, and as of about 1 a.m., more than 52,000 homes were without power.
Flash flooding is expected in Deltona, Daytona Beach and Port Orange. The weather service is advising area residents to “Turn around, don’t drown if they encounter flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”
Forecasters have predicted the storm would cause wind damage and flooding, especially along the I-4 corridor, but emergency officials are also concerned about a storm surge of 3 to 5 feet hitting the coast as the storm, which moves against the clock turns, seawater pushes towards the beaches.
“A significant surge is a major concern for Volusia County north of Jacksonville and on the Georgia coast, where the strongest winds will be from the north or northeast tomorrow morning,” said meteorologist Ryan Truchelut.
Daytona’s beaches are in better condition than after Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, but they are still vulnerable. During Nicole, national news media posted images of homes in Wilbur-By-The-Sea collapsing into the ocean.
Two years later, Volusia County ordered a mandatory evacuation for people living in the 21 remaining homes.
Local residents can expect strong gusts of wind as the storm continues overnight, more power outages and more rain.
“Volusia County can also expect storms with more than 10 inches of rainfall, and flooding is a major risk both along the coast and inland,” Truchelut said.
Follow the storm: Live webcams and livestreams on the beach show conditions after Siesta Key landfall
This article originally appeared in The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Milton slams into Siesta Key, sending heavy winds and rain to Daytona
