The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is looking for solutions to address what’s known as Midtown: a two square mile area home to 8,000 residents in Daytona Beach.
Midtown is the area of the Nova Canal, Orange Avenue, Ridgewood Avenue and Beville Road. It’s surrounded by higher ground that gives the region a bowl-shaped terrain that collects water. The area also collects massive amounts of water runoff during big storms.
This week, the Army Corps of Engineers held two meetings to present its three-year plan and hear from locals who have experienced severe flooding. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District’s David Ruderman said the study is indispensable.
“I think there's something like 2,800 structures in the section of this part of midtown,” Ruderman said. “You know when they have these flood events, these recurring flood events, people's homes are flooded out. There have been millions of dollars of damages over the past years and so the purpose of this study is to identify and consider the effectiveness of potential solutions.”
Ruderman said at one of the meetings, attendees shared that they have been dealing with flooding issues in Midtown for about a decade. His team was listening.
“Folks had a chance to express their concerns,” Ruderman said. “Not only that, they could speak freely to our specialists. Whether they were engineers, environmental people or economists, but also just describe what is going on in their specific locations.”
Along with meetings, the Army Corps of Engineers and partners will be creating a website to keep residents updated over the span of the project. Residents can also look at the Army Corps of Engineers project webpage for more information. Ruderman said above all, he hopes people provide input on flooding in their area and the study’s approach to flood management.
“All the findings will be published,” Ruderman said. “They will be available on our websites, and folks can go in and that's when we also need public input, public comment.”
The final report is slated for release in January 2027.
