South Daytona flooded badly in Hurricane Ian in 2022 and again in Milton in 2024. Since then, the city has been working through a long list of drainage upgrades, and it posts regular updates on its website.
Neighborhood projects
According to the City of South Daytona:
- Big Tree Village and Big Tree Shores: the Aspen stormwater pond expansion is in design, and Lift Station 12 was replaced in May 2026.
- Coventry Forest: the Windle Lane pond expansion will more than double the pond’s capacity.
- Lantern Park: a large new pond received its St. Johns River Water Management District permit, and construction bids closed in September 2026.
- Reed Canal: an expansion has been completed, doubling pond storage.
Pumps, power and gates
The city has installed permanent generators at the Windle, Lantern Park, Park of Honor and Reed Canal ponds, so pumps keep running when the power goes out. It installed a backflow gate at the Nova Canal in August 2026, along with backflow preventers on the Stevens Canal and at the Reed Canal Park outfall, to keep high water from flowing back into neighborhoods.
Watching the rain
A weather station on top of City Hall tracks rainfall intensity, and the city reports a peak reading of 4 inches per hour. A remote monitoring system sends alerts, and pond controls let crews lower water levels before a storm. Several projects are funded through federal disaster recovery grants managed with Volusia County’s Transform386 program.
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Questions and answers
What is South Daytona doing about flooding?
Expanding ponds, adding generators at pump sites and installing backflow gates, according to the city.
Where are the biggest projects?
Big Tree Village, Coventry Forest, Lantern Park and the Reed Canal area.
How is it funded?
Several projects use federal disaster recovery grants through Transform386, plus state and other grants.
This article is general information drawn from the sources listed below. It is not professional, legal, insurance or restoration advice. DIY-DRY is an equipment rental company.
Sources
- City of South Daytona, “Stormwater System Improvements” – southdaytona.org