Volusia County risk assessment ranks Daytona Beach areas highest; consultants recommend beach nourishment

Volusia County and consultants from Taylor Engineering presented a countywide feasibility assessment on coastal management that produced parcel-level community risk scores and recommended shoreline management strategies. Dr. Chris Bender, vice president of coastal engineering at Taylor Engineering, said the study used horizontal shoreline encroachment, vertical infrastructure exposure relative to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers statistical water levels, and historical shoreline change to calculate community vulnerability.

"Since 2016, across the county, the average was 8 and a half feet per year of erosion," Dr. Chris Bender said, summarizing the study's erosion analysis. The analysis used parcel-level asset locations, elevations, and 2024 post-hurricane Milton survey data to produce a community risk index for Volusia's stretches of shoreline.

The vulnerability ranking showed Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores and Wilbur by the Sea tied for the highest risk. Silver Sands and Methuen Beach ranked third, and New Smyrna Beach South ranked fourth. The rankings reflect differences in shoreline retreat, elevation exposure, and local armoring and modeling results.

Taylor Engineering screened 10 shoreline management alternatives against county objectives including reducing storm damage to structures and cultural resources, limiting natural resource loss, protecting life safety, preserving recreational access, minimizing impacts to threatened and endangered species, and meeting permitting requirements. Using a weighted multi-criteria decision analysis, the firm found beach nourishment scored highest (1.85 of 2), followed by structure relocation (1.5), nearshore sand placement (1.45), and a tie between breakwaters and nearshore artificial reefs (1.1).

The consultants and county staff emphasized trade-offs. Beach nourishment directly adds sand to the berm, increases recreational space and dune development, and provides a storm buffer, but it is temporary and requires periodic renourishment. Structure relocation reduces risk by moving infrastructure inland but does not restore beach resources and faces practical challenges for countywide application. Nearshore sand placement places material in the 10–20-foot zone offshore; it costs less but is condition-dependent and offers more uncertain onshore benefits. Breakwaters and artificial reefs are more suitable for targeted hotspots rather than countywide solutions, the team said.

Dr. Bender recommended tailored designs for each community and noted that alternatives may be combined over time after monitoring and evaluation. "These designs will vary across the community. This isn't a one-size-fits-all," he said, adding that monitoring and adaptive design would follow permitting and construction.

The consultants provided maps and posters showing community-level results and said the team will post full study materials online. County staff said the feasibility assessment will inform a county beach management plan needed to pursue state cost-sharing and longer-term implementation.