VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Volusia County is taking proactive steps to mitigate flooding risks by purchasing a hurricane-damaged home in the Ormond Beach area. With funding from FEMA, the county plans to demolish the property.
The homeowners, Lisa and Bruce Chiarizzi, said they had been waiting for this deal for years.
While some might find it heartbreaking to lose their “forever home” that they’ve repaired repeatedly after floods, for these Chiarizzis, it’s a relief.
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News 6 has visited the Chiarizzis after several storms: first in 2018 after their home flooded and again in 2022. They’ve been living in temporary housing since then.
“In total, we’ve had four claims, three rebuilds, and have done it ourselves time and again,” said Bruce.
Initially, they sought FEMA’s help to elevate their house on stilts but were denied twice. Then, they went the route looking for demolition assistance.
The county council approved the project this week, with FEMA covering 75% of the costs and the homeowners covering 25%. The family is now resolving a cost discrepancy with the state after recent property appraisals.
“I have faith that we will, by the end of this year or the middle of this year, be able to rebuild our life,” Bruce said.
They hope the demolition will help protect some of their neighbors from flooding.
“We’re not making money on this deal for them to take this house and knock it down. It will then become a watershed for the Tomoka River Basin,” said Lisa.
Clint Meacham, the county’s Emergency Management director, said there are two other properties in the application pipeline from Hurricane Ian in 2022 that the county may help demolish.
“The benefit of the county being involved and acquiring this property is that we can now remove that structure from that piece of property so we don’t have future recurring loss,” said Meacham.
There is a tough and long application process, though.
“You don’t have to necessarily have received damage from a storm; you just have to be in an area that has the potential. If you’re in that flood zone, you may qualify again. The emphasis is on hazard mitigation,” he said.
The county anticipates that the state will release similar grants in the coming weeks for victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton as part of its new Elevate Florida program. If you live in unincorporated Volusia, you would apply through the county; otherwise, you would apply through your city.
The Elevate Florida program is the first statewide residential flood mitigation initiative. It offers financial assistance to elevate homes, reconstruct damaged properties, or demolish some properties. The state plans to launch the application portal in a few weeks.
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