Saturday updates on Ian: Flagler schools to return Monday; Volusia schools back on Wednesday

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Hurricane Ian brought widespread flooding, damaging winds and unprecedented rainfall to Volusia County and beyond. The News-Journal will post updates here on Saturday, so check back for the latest from East Central Florida.

Live updates on your phone: Sign up to a special texting group for updates on Hurricane Ian and its aftermath

Destruction and desperation: See Hurricane Ian damage city by city across Florida

In Volusia County: Tropical Storm Ian destroys Port Orange Chuck E. Cheese restaurant; other Pavilion stores reopen

5:41 p.m. | Flagler students return to school Monday, FPL restores power to 85% of county

After assessing the damage from Tropical Storm Ian Saturday, the Flagler School District announced it will reopen schools Monday.

“We know many families are still dealing with the effects of Tropical Storm Ian,” Superintendent Cathy Mittlestadt said in a press release. “We also have several of our employees who live in neighboring counties still trying to recover. These are all things we take into account when we decide to reopen our schools.”

The district’s transportation department surveyed bus stops throughout the county to determine safety. The district reached out to families in neighborhoods where flooding required alternate bus stops.

FPL staged scores of linemen at the Flagler Executive Airport and by Saturday afternoon had restored power to 46,730 customers – 85% of those in the county affected by Tropical Storm Ian.

“Flagler Executive Airport is staging site for FPL and their resources to restore power to our community,” said Airport Director Roy Sieger in a county press release. “The airport has grown to a super site as the Daytona Beach Speedway parking area was under water and they could not send trucks and personnel there. We now have sleeping quarters for more than 1,000 people, a dining facility, shower and laundry facilities.”

Three “critical infrastructure facilities” – medical facilities and/or nursing homes (36 total in the county) – remain without power, while 18 had their power restored, including AdventHealth, according to the release.

Marineland has had 100% of its power restored, while Beverly Beach has only had 25% of its power restored. Flagler Beach and unincorporated Flagler County are each 86% restored. Bunnell is 91% restored. Palm Coast, which has the most customers, is 80% restored, the release stated.

Officials in Bunnell continue to ask residents to continue to limit water usage.

“As power is restored across Bunnell we understand the need to want to do laundry and take showers, however the wastewater treatment plant continues to try to deal with excessive amounts of water from the rainfall and the stormwater system,” said City Manager Alvin Jackson. “To prevent an influx of wastewater into the plant, which could lead to sewer back-ups across the city, we ask that you continue to limit water usage throughout the weekend.”

5:10 p.m. Volusia updates on Tropical Storm Ian power outages and damage

County officials offered a mix of updates on everything from power outages to beach damage at a news conference Saturday afternoon.

They said at 10 a.m. Saturday the Ocean Center became a temporary shelter for people displaced by Tropical Storm Ian. All other storm shelters closed.

The American Red Cross will run the shelter, which is open to anyone who can't stay in their home, including people with special needs. County officials are helping with security at the temporary shelter on Daytona's beachside.

As of noon Saturday, a little under 150,000 homes and businesses in Volusia County were still without power.

"Efforts are continuing to restore your power," County Manager George Recktenwald said, noting power company crews are staged and working throughout Volusia County.

Duke Energy is hoping to restore power to 90% of its customers by early Monday morning, Recktenwald said.

Florida Power & Light has a goal of getting power restored to 95% of its customers by early Wednesday morning, he said.

Volusia County officials continue to urge people to stay away from the beach, where dunes and walkovers were badly beat up by Ian.

Recktenwald said all coastal parks are also closed, and county crews continue to assess a variety of damage. He said people should stay away from pedestrian walkovers, vehicle ramps, piers and seawalls.

"Many of these structures are compromised right now and could collapse without warning, even without visible damage," he said. "There's a lot of undermining that's gone on."

County Chair Jeff Brower echoed that warning.

"Nobody wants to open up the beach faster than I do, but it's just not safe yet," Brower said at the news conference late Saturday afternoon.

Brower said the recovery process in Volusia County is going to take some time.

"I walked into the emergency operations center today and said, 'I hope we're on the downside of this,' and everyone just groaned," Brower said.

He said residents need to remember that many people across the county are still suffering.

"Many of us said we dodged a bullet. Maybe we just lost electricity," Brower said. "But for everyone who dodged a bullet, there's many people who are really suffering."

He said there are homes on Volusia County's coast that are teetering on compromised dunes, and there's "flooding from one end of the county to the other."

Brower cautioned that the flooding isn't receding yet in some spots, and rivers are still cresting.

"The danger is not over," he said. "I'm asking for your cooperation and patience."

He said residents should help one another in every way they can, perhaps giving a ride to someone who needs groceries but has a vehicle damaged by floodwater.

"You survive by making wise decisions and helping each other," Brower said.

Anyone with questions or in need of help can call the county's information center until 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday nights at 866-345-0345.

2:19 p.m. Volusia schools won't open until Wednesday

The Volusia County School District will not reopen until Wednesday, according to a county release. The district Saturday was still assessing damage caused by Tropical Storm Ian.

Volusia County government offices will reopen Monday, according to the release.

The county library will be open during normal hours Saturday and Sunday, where people can access Wi-Fi and air conditioning.

Additionally, the Tomoka Landfill and West Volusia Transfer Station will be open Saturday and Sunday at these times:

• Tomoka Landfill, 1990 Tomoka Farms Road, Port Orange: 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

• West Volusia Transfer Station, 3151 E. New York Ave., DeLand: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The following county-maintained parks have reopened:

• Barkley Square Dog Park, DeLand

• Ed Stone Park, DeLand (the boat ramp is closed)

• Hester Park, DeLeon Springs

• Hope Place Play Yard, Daytona Beach

• Lake Dias Park, DeLeon Springs

• Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park, Ormond Beach

• Seville Village Park, Seville

• Sylvester Bruten Park, DeLand (one pavilion is closed due to flooding)

These parks will open by 5 p.m. Saturday:

• Cypress Lakes Park, DeLand

• Spring Hill Park, DeLand

All boat ramps remain closed. Some barriers are being damaged by boaters going around them.

The Citizens Information Center remains open 24/7 to answer questions and provide information. Residents can call 866-345-0345.

1:55 p.m. FEMA help available for Tropical Storm Ian damage, tips for hiring contractors

As Volusia County moves through the recovery phase of Tropical Storm Ian, local officials are providing post-storm resources and reminders about everything from FEMA assistance to flooding safety.

County officials are asking residents to keep in mind that homes and properties along waterways including the St. Johns River may be inches from flooding. A boat wake could be what pushes water into someone's home. Volusia County Sheriff's Office marine units and their partners with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are out working to prevent that from happening.

Volusia County residents who have been adversely impacted by Tropical Storm Ian may apply for individual assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Available assistance may include grants to pay for temporary housing, emergency home repairs, uninsured and underinsured personal property losses, and medical, dental and funeral expenses caused by the disaster, together with other serious disaster-related expenses.

Individual assistance received through disaster-associated grants are not taxable income and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid, medical waiver programs, welfare assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, food stamps, Supplemental Income, Social Security Disability Insurance or any other federal benefits.

Individuals and households in Volusia County who have sustained losses as a direct result of Tropical Storm Ian can apply for the federal assistance. To apply visit www.disasterassistance.gov, call 800-621-3362 or download the FEMA app.

Applicants should have the following information ready: Social Security number; address of the damaged home or apartment; description of the damage; information about insurance coverage; telephone number; mailing address; and bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of funds.

Representatives will be available to take calls from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service. County officials encourage residents who are applying for assistance to download the FEMA app; it will allow residents to check the status of their applications.

The county will serve as a resource to assist residents in applying for FEMA assistance. The Volusia County Public Library system has six branches in operation with internet access. Staff is ready to help residents submit applications at these branches:

DeBary Public Library: 200 N. Charles R. Beall Blvd., DeBary

Deltona Regional Library: 2150 Eustace Ave., Deltona

Edgewater Public Library: 103 W. Indian River Blvd., Edgewater

Hope Place Public Library: 1310 Wright St., Daytona Beach

New Smyrna Beach Regional Library: 1001 S. Dixie Freeway, New Smyrna Beach

Ormond Beach Regional Library: 30 S. Beach St., Ormond Beach

For updates regarding available assistance, visit www.volusia.org/pin or call the Citizens Information Center at 866-345-0345.

Beware of storm scams

Every storm recovery brings with it a heightened risk of fraud and scam activity. Officials from Volusia County’s Emergency Management and Building and Code Administration divisions urge residents to be extra careful when hiring unknown contractors.

Residents should be especially alert for door-to-door solicitors who promise to speed up the permit process, or ask for large cash deposits or advance payments in full. Look first to licensed local contractors who have performed well in the past. If they cannot help you, ask them to recommend another reputable contractor.

Residents should hire contractors who are licensed by the state and/or the county. If a contractor is not properly licensed, the homeowner could be sued if the worker is injured on the job. Most homeowners’ insurance policies will not pay a claim if the homeowner has contracted with an unlicensed individual.

To determine if a person is locally licensed or state certified, call Volusia County’s Contractor Licensing Office at 386-736-5957, option 2, or visit the county’s Connect Live site at www.connectlivepermits.org and choose the contractor tab.

You can also search for state-certified or registered contractors by clicking on the “verify a license tab” at www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr.

Get a written estimate. Compare services and prices before making a final decision. Read the fine print. Some contractors charge a fee for a written estimate, which may be applied to the price of subsequent repairs they make.

Check references. Contractors should be willing to provide the names of previous customers. Call several former customers who had similar work done to make sure they were satisfied with the job.

Ask for proof of insurance. Make sure the contractor carries general liability insurance and workers' compensation. If the contractor is not insured, the homeowner may be liable for accidents that occur on the property.

Insist on a written contract. A complete contract should clearly state all the tasks to be performed, all associated costs and the payment schedule. Never sign a blank contract or one with blank spaces. Make sure the contract clearly states who will apply for the necessary permits or licenses. Have a lawyer review the contract if substantial costs are involved, and keep a copy for your records.

Get guarantees in writing. Any guarantees made by the contractor should be written into the contract. The guarantee should clearly state what is guaranteed, who is responsible for the guarantee and how long the guarantee is valid.

Obtain a local building permit. Permits may be required for site work, demolition and reconstruction. For permit information, call Volusia County’s Permit Center at 386-736-5929, option 5, or visit www.volusia.org/permitcenter.

Have work inspected. If excavation work is being performed, make sure a city or county building inspector examines the work before it is hidden from view to avoid problems in the future.

Make final payments when the work is completed. Do not sign completion papers or make the final payment until the work is completed to your satisfaction.

To report unlicensed contracting in unincorporated areas of Volusia County, call the Contractor Licensing Office at 386-736-5957, option 2. You can also report unlicensed activity by clicking on the “Report unlicensed activity” tab on the left side of the screen at www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr.

1:20 p.m. Cool off with Wi-Fi: Flagler County Main Library Branch open until 5 p.m. Saturday

While most public buildings and parks will be closed until Monday, The Flagler County Public Library Main Branch in Palm Coast will be open until 5 p.m. Saturday.

"We were happy to be able to open a little early to offer our residents a cool place to visit and Wi-Fi," Library Director Holly Albanese said in a press release. "People can come in and enjoy all the amenities we have to offer."

According to the release, county crews are working to get the floating docks set today for the parks along the Intracoastal Waterways and checking other parks facilities to ensure they are safe.

"We are working diligently to get things back in order," said County Administrator Heidi Petito.

Officials in Bunnell are asking residents to continue to limiting water usage.

"As power is restored across Bunnell, we understand the need to want to do laundry and take showers, however the wastewater treatment plant continues to try to deal with excessive amounts of water from the rainfall and the storm water system," said City Manager Alvin Jackson. "To prevent an influx of wastewater into the plant which could lead to sewer back-ups across the city, we ask that you continue to limit water usage throughout the weekend."

1:10 p.m. Woman walking on Volusia beach during Tropical Storm Ian pulled into ocean and killed

A 68-year-old Kentucky woman who was taking a walk along the beach Thursday in Ormond by the Sea was swept out into the surf and died, county officials said.

The woman, who was not identified, was visiting from out of state and taking a stroll on the beach near the dunes with her husband and son a little before noon Thursday when Tropical Storm Ian was still battering Volusia County with high winds and rain.

The woman was joking around and having fun when a surge crashed in from the ocean, knocked her off her feet and pulled her out to sea, Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue Deputy Chief Tammy Malphurs said Saturday.

Either her son or husband managed to pull her out of the water and helped her get to a walkover or some other structure on the beach, Malphurs said. She was back on her feet when the structure, likely damaged by the unrelenting waves and wind of Ian, then collapsed and the woman was pulled out into the Atlantic a second time.

Her son or husband was able to get her onto the beach after that, but her breathing was very shallow when emergency medical workers arrived and they were unable to revive her, Malphurs said. The woman's son and husband were not injured.

Had she survived, the woman would have celebrated her 69th birthday Friday, Malphurs said.

Residents and visitors should stay off the beach until further notice while officials clean up debris and repair walkovers, Malphurs said.

11:50 a.m. Daytona's Museum of Arts & Sciences mostly escapes wrath of Tropical Storm Ian

Although Daytona Beach's Museum of Arts & Sciences and the Cici & Hyatt Brown Museum of Art sit across Nova Road from the badly flooded Midtown neighborhood, both museums escaped major problems.

The art museum, a newer building that opened in early 2015 and sits on raised ground, was unscathed by Tropical Storm Ian when it blew through this week, Cici Brown said Saturday.

The 50-year-old building that houses the Museum of Arts & Sciences had some minor problems, but nothing like the serious flooding the structure suffered in past storms, Brown said.

"We're very, very lucky," said Brown, a longtime museum board member. "The damage and problems in the main building are minimal."

The west wing of the main museum building was rebuilt and raised several years ago, so that allowed the structure to escape flooding problems that had plagued the museum in the past.

Some water made its way to the entrance of the children's museum, and there is some dripping in parts of the building, Brown said. The property is heavily wooded, so there are many downed trees and branches that need to be cleaned up, she said.

The art museum is open this weekend and "running 100 %," Brown said. But the Museum of Arts & Sciences will remain closed while cleanup and repairs are being tackled.

9:33 a.m. Volusia and Flagler schools still assessing damage

Volusia and Flagler county schools are still assessing the damage caused by Tropical Storm Ian and have not decided whether to open on Monday.

Volusia County Schools hopes to have an update by noon on Saturday, according to a Facebook post.

In Flagler County, Indian Trail Middle School and Belle Terre Elementary School were still without power, according to a release from spokesman Jason Wheeler.

The district's transportation department is also surveying bus stops in flooded areas to determine whether alternate stops will be necessary. The district will alert families in the affected areas and the information will be available on the district website, flaglerschools.com.

Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt hopes to have a decision on whether or not to reopen on Monday by 6 p.m. Saturday.

Friday updates on Ian: Woman dies amid storm surge, walkover collapse in Ormond-by-the Sea

Power outage map: See Daytona Beach, Volusia and Flagler counties power outage map as Tropical Storm Ian impacts Florida

From coastal Flagler County with its storm surge damage south to deluged areas of New Smyrna Beach that received close to two feet of rain, residents were struggling with floodwater that turned their streets into rivers and wind that tore at roofs, toppled trees and knocked out power.

At least three people died in Volusia County as Ian tore into the area Wednesday evening and slowly carved a destructive path out to the Atlantic Ocean Thursday afternoon.

Although Volusia County has lifted its curfew, spokesman Kevin Captain urged people not to leave their homes "unless it's absolutely necessary." Residents should also stay off of the beach, where high waves remain, beach walkovers are damaged and debris is scattered around.

— Eileen Zaffiro-Kean contributed to this report

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Ian Saturday updates: Cleanup underway, schools still assessing damage