Volusia County emergency officials ask residents to secure their homes ahead of this weekend’s storm

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — In Volusia County, emergency officials are asking residents to secure their homes ahead of the storm.

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County leaders say inland, there could be flooding on roads and in ditches in rivers.

But Public Works Director Ben Bartlett said based on the current forecast, he doesn’t believe water will reach any structures.

“It’s not a huge amount of rain like we have seen in the past, but we have had a very wet late summer and fall,” he said “So the ground is saturated, and we can expect there is still some standing water in those low-lying areas from the rain we’ve seen previously.”

Read: Coastal areas already seeing gusty winds, dangerous surf ahead of this weekend’s severe weather

Brevard, Volusia counties brace for tropical storm-like conditions this weekend Local beaches are already experiencing gusty winds and rough surf ahead of a weather system that could bring heavy rainfall and the threat of tornadoes.

Over in the coastal cities, rough surf and strong winds are a concern.

Bartlett said the county’s trap bag system will sustain the conditions.

“We have had a couple of good storms since they were installed, and they’ve held up well,” he said. “Obviously, we will continue to monitor those areas, but we don’t anticipate any major failures.”

Read: Brevard County braces for tropical storm-like conditions

The county is in contact with beach contractors to make sure their projects are secure for the weekend.

They will be removing trash cans and dog bag dispensers on Thursday.

In the meantime, the county wants residents to remove or secure plants, holiday decorations and wind chimes so they don’t get blown away by the wind.

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