DELTONA, Fla. — Hurricane season has come to an end in the Sunshine State, but many Floridians are still managing post-storm recovery efforts. 

In Deltona, some property owners still face lingering flooding concerns. 

What You Need To Know

  • Hurricane season has come to an end, but many residents in Volusia County are still managing post-storm recovery efforts
  • One property owner in Deltona, Mel Himes, says much of his property remains underwater
  • He said he wants the St. Johns River Water Management District to find a solution

Damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Hurricane Milton this past October really took a toll on Mel Himes' property in Deltona. Much of it is underwater, and he is worried about what the future could bring.  

After Hurricane Ian, his barn had 24 to 30 inches of water inside. 

So for Hurricane Milton, he built makeshift floodgates and laid down sandbags. They helped a bit, but he still saw 6 to 8 inches of water.

The two hurricanes marked the first times he has seen such damage.

Mel’s greenhouse is destroyed. Much of his property has changed into a waterfront property off DuPont Lake, something he never expected.

“The problem is all of this water coming down from DeLand, Lake Helen, Cassadaga, Orange City and into the Deltona chain of lakes and the Lake Theresa Water Basin, coming down through all of Deltona. It’s being blocked by these three floodgates that are controlled by the St. Johns Water Management District,” Himes said. 

He said he wants the St. Johns River Water Management District to find a solution. 

“When the floodwaters can’t go through the canal out to Lake Bethel, out to Lake Monroe, and into the St. Johns River, they back up," Himes said. "We’ve got streets that are flooded. Traffic has to be redirected.” 

Like Himes, conditions are slowly returning to normal for Kenneth Adcook.  

“I had 5 to 6 inches of water in the living room after (hurricanes) Nicole and Ian two years ago, and that water stayed in the living room for five months,” Adcook said. 

He fears what could happen when another storm comes through. 

“What we need is help on a higher level,” Adcook said.

That’s why residents are doing what they can to find a solution. 

The St. Johns River Water Management District said the city of Deltona is responsible for requesting the opening of the Theresa Basin Emergency Overflow and managing its operation. 

The district’s role, officials said, is to make sure the structure is operating in compliance. 

Officials in Deltona said that emergency field operations expired Dec. 6, meaning the gates are now closed. 

They said they are preparing to submit a request to the water management district to reopen the gates.