VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — There is new hope for communities constantly facing flooding issues if a new Senate bill passes. SB 840 was filed last week in response to SB 180, which aims to improve emergency response during storms.
But it also threatens building bans. Edgewater is suing the state over the restrictions imposed by SB 180 on local governments.
Currently, the city has a building ban in place, which is a violation of state law. However, over the last year, it has given them the chance to examine why the area floods and develop plans to address the issue.
It’s something leaders said wouldn’t have been possible if new construction were still happening.
We found Robert Daniels wading through waist-deep water in October after days of heavy rain and high tides submerged nearly every section of the city.
“Every time it rains, you’re in jeopardy of losing things and I have over and over again lost stuff,” said Daniels.
Over the past year, Edgewater has been working to identify the causes of flooding and develop plans to address them. The results reveal several issues, including limited stormwater capacity, outdated infrastructure, and new development.
We looked into how the city got here:
In September 2022, Hurricane Ian caused flooding in Edgewater. About a year later, construction began on a new housing development.
Then, in September 2024, the city began flooding during regular rainstorms. That same month, the city manager was fired for not having a plan to address the issue.
In January 2025, a ban on building passed.
But it was threatened by SB 180, which froze local governments’ ability to adopt new land-use rules that are more restrictive. SB 840 revises parts of the original bill, specifically the section that prevented cities and counties from acting after natural disasters.
The new bill was just filed in the Senate last week, and it’s unclear when it will have its first hearing.
Edgewater’s moratorium expires next month.
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