- April 26, 2024
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Tropical Storm Isaias may not have done much damage at all to Volusia County, but it was a "good drill," said county Emergency Management Director Jim Judge during a briefing on Monday, Aug. 3.
The storm, which weakened from a category 1 hurricane before passing Volusia, had no major impacts aside from a few scattered branches and tree limbs. The beaches fared well, and there were no power outages in the county.
Volusia County Council Chair Ed Kelley said this was a "dry run," but that it gave the county a chance to test out the new COVID-19 standard operating procedures for storms. Everything went well, he explained.
“This storm didn’t happen to have a major impact on us," Kelley said. "We were happy that happened. But, that’s not always the case so we still have to be prepared.”
Judge said the county first began monitoring Isaias on July 26 when it appeared on the radar. The storm's strength and forecasted course changed several times over the following days, and as the county began preparations, they were also receiving calls via the county's Citizens Information Center hotline involving the special needs population.
Because a 10-mile wobble to the left could've pushed tropical storm force winds, and at one point hurricane force winds, further inland, the county decided to open up four shelters in west Volusia. Two were meant to house the special needs population.
“We always want to err on the side of safety for our public," Judge said.
The good news is the shelters weren't needed. Judge said only a couple people showed up at Galaxy Middle School, one of the special needs population shelters, and they eventually chose to return to their homes.
Judge said he was proud of everyone involved in the emergency response, as they were also learning how to operate the emergency operations center in a virtual format. He reminded the public there is still a few months left of hurricane season and that the county will continue to monitor for future storms.
