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Spring break brings crowds to Volusia County amid a busy Bike Week

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — It’s the start of spring break for many high schools and colleges nationwide.

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In Daytona Beach, the spring break overlaps Bike Week, bringing large crowds and traffic to the coast.

This means the local economy gets a good boost after back-to-back hurricanes slammed into the coast.

The busy season also brings traffic backups and long wait times to local businesses.

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Kandice and Kaytlin Danner traveled twenty hours from Nebraska to spend spring break together.

It was their first time on the East Coast, and while they loved the new atmosphere, the crowds were hard to miss.

People from other parts of Florida were surprised to discover damage left behind on the beaches from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole.

Aren Smith said he saw a pool ripped from the ground, but the damage did not stop people from having fun.

Read: New Smyrna Beach police to enforce curfew for minors as Spring Break begins

In New Smyrna Beach, the city recently put a permanent youth curfew in place after a crowd of teens caused trouble last year, which made it difficult for officers to take control.

Chief Eric Feldman of the New Smyrna Beach Police Department said that officers would enforce the curfew when it is in action at 11 p.m.

He said there also will be posted reader boards reminding people about the curfew.

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Police said parents play a significant role in ensuring this spring break is safe.

“We did see last year that a lot of the problems we had with (children) were (children) that were dropped off, and the parents weren’t there to supervise,” Feldman said.

Parents and businesses can also be fined if they knowingly allow someone to break the youth curfew in New Smyrna Beach.

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