VOLUSIA COUNT, Fla. — Just eight days into hurricane season, residents in part of Daytona Beach say they are already worried about flooding tied to the Nova Canal.
The canal runs through Port Orange, Holly Hill and Daytona Beach and has been identified in studies as one of the major sources of flooding in Daytona Beach’s Midtown area.
The canal is maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation. Right now, large sections are covered with thick vegetation, which residents worry could keep water from flowing properly during heavy rain.
“It was all in the street like we had a hurricane,” said Patricia Singleton, who lives in the area.
Two weeks ago, Daytona Beach leaders told Channel 9 crews were clearing storm drains and doing other stormwater infrastructure maintenance.
But Singleton said that work will only go so far if the state does not also maintain the canal.
“If they’re not doing their job, which they’re not doing their job, they need to get on the ball and do it,” Singleton said.
The concern is not new.
A recent Army Corps of Engineers study looked at a two-square-mile area of Midtown that is home to about 8,000 people. The study identified the Nova Canal as one of the main sources of flooding in the area.
Keeping the canal clear will not stop flooding during a major storm, especially in a low-lying area, but residents said it could help water drain faster and give people more time.
Channel 9 took residents’ concerns to FDOT and asked for a more detailed maintenance schedule, along with an explanation of why the work has not already started.
This story will be updated when the state responds.
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