Florida County Sets Damage From Nicole At $481 Million

In a central Florida coastal county where homes crumbled into the Atlantic Ocean after Hurricane Nicole last week, damages are estimated to be worth more than $481 million.

According to officials, the category one storm in Volusia Area, which includes Daytona Beach, inflicted more damage than the far more powerful Hurricane Ian, which cost the county $377 million.

In late September, a category four hurricane named Ian made landfall in southwest Florida and wreaked havoc on the region.

Between $40 billion and $70 billion in insured damages from Ian were projected by Moody’s Investors Service to have occurred in Florida and North Carolina.

In Wilbur-by-the Sea, a charming coastal town where single-family homes crashed into the ocean last week, severe beach erosion from Ian put residences vulnerable to Nicole’s effects.

According to Volusia County officials, Hurricane Nicole caused at least 30 single-family homes in Wilbur-by-the-Sea and seven in nearby Ponce Inlet to be deemed hazardous.

Two dozen multistory condo buildings in Daytona Beach Shores and New Smyrna Beach have been evacuated after building inspectors judged them hazardous.

The Volusia County Property Appraiser estimates that Daytona Beach Shore sustained property damage of $370.3 million, the highest in the county.

Daytona Beach came in second with $50 million, followed by New Smyrna Beach with $51.1 million.

As more buildings are inspected, the property appraiser’s office issued a warning that those numbers would probably increase.

Nicole was only the third hurricane to make landfall in Florida since records began in 1853, and it was the first hurricane to do so in November since 1985 for storm-weary Floridians.

Five Florida fatalities were attributed to the hurricane.

Two people died from electrocution in the Orlando region after touching downed power wires.

A man also perished in a car accident in Orange County, and due to dangerous road conditions, a male pedestrian was run over and killed by a car.

Paramedics who got to board the yacht as it capsized and boarded him attempted to revive another guy, but he passed away as waves pounded his vessel against a port in Cocoa.