Wilbur-By-The-Sea: Multiple Coastal Homes Collapse, Beach Houses Closed

Tropical Storm Nicole sent multiple homes toppling into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday and threatened a row of high-rise condominiums in places where Hurricane Ian washed away the beach and destroyed seawalls only weeks ago.

“Multiple coastal homes in Wilbur-by-the-Sea have collapsed and several other properties are at imminent risk,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said in a social media message.

He said most bridges to the beachside properties had been closed to all but essential personnel and a curfew was put into effect.

Wilbur-by-the-Sea is an unincorporated community on a barrier island with only beachfront homes.

Next door in Daytona Beach Shores, a strip of high-rise condominiums were evacuated ahead of Nicole’s landfall, and while they remained standing after the storm, their future depends on safety reviews.

County manager George Recktenwald said during a news conference that officials assessing damage had already identified nearly a dozen compromised structures in Daytona Beach Shores and Wilbur-By-The-Sea, and they expect to find more.

“Structural damage along our coastline is unprecedented,” Recktenwald said. “We’ve never experien