- April 25, 2024
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On Friday, Volusia County will begin reopening sections of the beach closed due to impacts from Hurricane Matthew, and Beach Safety will be flying a single red flag, which indicates that there are hazardous water conditions but water activities are permitted.
Due to the extensive debris from Hurricane Matthew, all 16 miles of the beach driving zones were closed. To re-establish the traffic areas, conservation zone poles, signs, lifeguard towers and other equipment had to be redeployed, all of which has been ongoing since the day after the storm.
Jessica Winterwerp, director of the county’s Coastal Division, said while Hurricane Matthew temporarily closed the beach to driving and some dunes were knocked down, it did provide beneficial material to help the dunes regrow.
“Hurricane Matthew was unique because it brought a significant amount of vegetative debris from the ocean to our shoreline,” said Winterwerp. “This vegetative debris is very beneficial to our dune system as it contains organic matter including mangrove vines, roots, seaweed and seeds. Instead of taking this material off the beach, it’s being placed at the base of the dunes to help grow baby dunes that will help to buffer the coastline during the next storm. The seeds and vegetation will eventually help to revegetate the dune system, making it stronger.”
The driving zones on the beach will open incrementally starting Friday. These areas are:
