DELTONA, Fla. — Help could be on the way for some residents in Deltona impacted by flooding during Hurricanes Ian and Nicole as the city works with an engineering firm to apply for flood mitigation grants.

What You Need To Know

  • FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides funding to state and local governments so they can develop hazard mitigation plans to prevent future disaster losses in their communities

  • The city of Deltona hosted a residential flood mitigation workshop in May where six homeowners asked the city to apply for this grant to elevate their homes above the base flood elevation

  • Deltona resident Rosa Campbell is one of the homeowners whose property is being considered for the grant, as it was impacted by flooding during Hurricanes Ian and Nicole

  • These grants are a cost share — the program pays 75% and the property owners are obligated to pay 25% of the total project cost

Last May, the city of Deltona hosted a residential flood mitigation workshop where six homeowners asked the city to apply for FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to elevate their homes above the base flood (100-year) elevation.

The program provides funding to state and local governments so they can develop hazard mitigation plans to prevent future disaster losses in their communities.

Rosa Campbell was one of the property owners who provided a basic application with information regarding flooding impacts specific to their properties. 

Campbell said she still vividly remembers the damage left behind on Sept. 29, 2022, the day after Hurricane Ian hit.

“One thing I learned is when water is coming, you can't stop it," she said. "It just keeps coming. Nothing you can do. That's when I went outside and didn't realize that we'd even flooded, slept through it, of course. And then, you know, it was up to my knees there when I got out.”

Campbell is the owner of one of the impacted properties on Blackburn Avenue.

“It was devastating," she said. "And well, recovery and so forth. But oh, gosh, you still don't actually recover totally from it. It turns your life upside down."

Her home is located in the Lake Theresa watershed, which according to the city has a history of structural and roadway flooding. Campbell experienced severe flooding during both Hurricanes Ian and Nicole.

“I was just shocked, I think," she said. "I was actually in shock for months, actually."

The city’s consulting engineer, Pegasus, is finalizing the formal applications to be transmitted to the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM). Those applications will be evaluated by professional grant and engineering staff members with FDEM to determine if the proposed projects are cost beneficial.

If the application is found cost beneficial, then the city and FDEP will enter into an agreement, whereby the city of Deltona will be the sub-grantee.

Deltona city commissioners approved a plan Monday to seek the flood mitigation grants. 

Grant consultant David Hamstra said can take anywhere from three to four months to get the initial round of comments on the grant application, and it would take at least three years from start to finish for residents to have a flood free home.

City officials say there is no guarantee that the application will be approved by FDEM, but plan to put forward a robust submittal to provide the best possible outcome for all the applications. 

These grants are a cost share — the program pays 75% of the total cost, and the property owners are obligated to pay 25%.