VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Residents gathered at a flood mitigation town hall meeting hosted by Volusia County Council District 1 Member Don Dempsey on Thursday evening, voicing concerns and sharing experiences about flooding issues.
The meeting was hosted by Dempsey, whose district in the western portion of the county saw widespread flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
“I’ve had a lot of people over he last year want to talk about flooding and instead of doing these individual meetings, I figured we’d just have one big collective meeting,” Dempsey said.
Any member of the public was invited to the town hall to voice their concerns, ask questions, and hear about possible solutions to address current problem areas and prevent future flooding.
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“I thought it might just be a good idea to collectively answer questions that people may have,” Dempsey said. “I just think they need to know the county is being very proactive in trying to fix this problem and not just push it to the side.”
The meeting, held in the council chambers, lasted about two and a half hours as county staff outlined ongoing efforts to address flooding in areas including DeLand and Orange City.
“It’s a good start,” said Pat and John Goslin, longtime Volusia County residents.
The couple said they’ve watched floodwaters get closer to their home in recent years.
“We’ve been fortunate that our house hasn’t flooded, but our property has,” said John Goslin. “There are people who’ve had their houses flooded and damage done. It’s a very stressful thing to go through. Just once is enough, but three times in three years. It’s a lot.”
The Goslins joined other homeowners impacted by flooding at the meeting. This includes homeowners in Deland and Orange City, where Milton caused stormwater backups and heavy rainfall flooded the area.
Dempsey expressed optimism about the meeting’s turnout.
“I think it’s very encouraging,” Dempsey said. “I’m glad people turned out.”
During the session, county staff shared updates on stormwater and flood mitigation studies currently underway, with results expected in a matter of weeks.
“I really hope they are encouraged that we aren’t just sitting around talking. There are actually things going on in their government to try and fix the problem,” Dempsey said.
Residents said they want to receive updates and continued engagement from local leaders.
“I just hope we will see more town meetings like this with elected officials,” said John Goslin. “We’re thankful Mr. Dempsey decided to do this because I didn’t know him until we started all of this. We didn’t even know our neighbors, but we do now.”
Dempsey said he plans to hold additional town hall meetings and expects the topic of a building moratorium to be discussed at the next council meeting.
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