Volusia, Flagler county flood victims seek help
DAYTONA BEACH (AP) – Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday he was confident the Obama administration would approve his request for federal aid for flood victims in Volusia and Flagler counties, as hundreds of those victims lined up at two assistance centers seeking help.
Crist said the federal government could provide as much as $50 million in disaster relief money by the end of the week, as he toured an Essential Services Center in Volusia County. The centers offered one-stop assistance from state agencies.
“Obviously, it’s a significant situation,” Crist said. “We flew over it coming in. I just can’t believe the amount of water.”
Hundreds of residents filled out papers at two Essential Services Centers to get lost food stamps, missing driver’s licenses, counseling and provide the Red Cross with a list of their needs. No representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency were at the centers since the counties haven’t been declared federal disaster areas.
Crist talked with dozens of victims including 25-year-old Jessica Cafka, who told Crist the roof collapsed on her trailer and snakes and mice were coming in through the holes in the trailer. She has two young girls at home.
As much as 21 inches of rain drenched the area last week, causing an estimated $55.1 million in losses and damaging 1,500 structures.
Later, Bill Baylor showed Crist pictures of his farm in Bunnell, which is now under water. Countless potatoes lay waterlogged throughout the field. Baylor said he lost about 420 acres of his 500-acre farm to the flooding.
“It’s over,” Baylor said of the year’s crop. “It’s a done deal.”
The weeklong rain also flooded two parts of the Daytona Beach International Speedway. Water filled a tunnel used by haulers to enter the track and the apron of a viewing area near a manmade lake in the infield. None of the water ever was on the track. All flood waters have been removed by pump from the Daytona International Speedway as of Tuesday.
Speedway spokesman Andrew Booth said there is no damage to the speedway, and it will be ready for the Coke Zero 400 race on July 4.