PONCE INLET, Fla. – New aerial video shows how Hurricane Nicole took bites out of the Volusia County coast, chewing up sand dunes, seawalls and parts of homes.
Sky 6 flew over the beaches Friday from Ponce Inlet north to Wilbur-by-the-Sea, where two dozen homes were deemed unsafe and some had already collapsed.
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The Atlantic Ocean’s waves now crashed and breached seawalls, removing chunks of the coast that were built up to support the sometimes opulent homes on top.
Some homes were spared from destruction. Others look like they were sliced into pieces, left in heaps on the beach or gone altogether, along with pools, palm trees and pavement.
By Friday, 10 homes in Wilbur-by-the-Sea had collapsed. Some 25 single-family homes in Wilbur-by-the-Sea were deemed unsafe and evacuated, but from the video, it’s clear more homes along the beach had serious damage. Some homes that aren’t damaged are now right on the edge of the dunes.
“It’s heartbreaking to see because the beach is gone, and houses are gone, and it’s not going to get any better because the high tides keep coming,” said one woman on the beach Thursday.
Boardwalks and ramps for beachside access were also ripped apart, leaving wood from the walkways dangling.
County officials are urging people not to come out to the beaches and see the damage for themselves unless they have to. They say it’s too dangerous.
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