Tropical Storm Nicole Topples Beachfront Homes Into Ocean

WILBUR-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. (AP) Tropical Storm Nicole sent multiple homes toppling into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday and threatened a row of high-rise condominiums in places where Hurricane Ian washed away the beach and destroyed seawalls only weeks ago.

Multiple coastal homes in Wilbur-by-the-Sea have collapsed and several other properties are at imminent risk, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said in a social media message. He said most bridges to the beachside properties had been closed to all but essential personnel and a curfew was put into effect.

Wilbur-by-the-Sea is an unincorporated community on a barrier island with only beachfront homes. Next door in Daytona Beach Shores, a strip of high-rise condominiums were evacuated ahead of Nicoles landfall, and while they remained standing after the storm, their future depends on safety reviews.

Drone footage from our field correspondent @bclemms shows the extent of the coastal erosion in Daytona Beach, Florida. A reminder that a tropical storm or low-end hurricane can create massive damage. pic.twitter.com/njBnt37BGe

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Drone footage from our field correspondent @bclemms shows the extent of the coastal erosion in Daytona Beach, Florida. A reminder that a tropical storm or low-end hurricane can create massive damage. pic.twitter.com/njBnt37BGe
WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) November 10, 2022

County manager George Recktenwald said during a news conference that officials assessing damage had already identified nearly a dozen compromised structures in Daytona Beach Shores and Wilbur-By-The-Sea, and they expect to find more.

Structural damage along our coastline is unprecedented, Recktenwald said. Weve never experienced anything like this before.

Officials said they didnt know when residents could safely return to their homes in the barrier island communities.

The homeowners association at the Marbella condominiums in Daytona Beach Shores had just spent $240,000 to temporarily rebuild the seawall Ian destroyed in September, said Connie Hale Gellner, whose family owns a unit there. Live video from the buildings cameras showed Nicoles storm surge taking it all way.