City of Palm Coast Responds to Hurricane Milton with Swift Action and Community Support

In the wake of Hurricane Milton, the City of Palm Coast staff worked tirelessly to ensure the safety and recovery of our community. From October 5-11, the city experienced heavy rainfall, with the western areas receiving 13.53 inches, the northwest seeing 12.5 inches, and the southwest receiving a staggering 16.06 inches. These intense rains pushed the city’s wastewater system to its limits, reaching a peak of 17 million gallons daily—far exceeding its 6.8 million gallons daily capacity.

Despite these challenges, City staff worked around the clock, from Sunday, October 6, through Sunday, October 13, to respond to the storm’s impact. Between October 6 and 9, 80,000 sandbags were distributed. 

Mayor David Alfin expressed gratitude for the community’s resilience, stating, “We’re all in this together, and we’ll recover together. The response from our staff and residents has been nothing short of incredible.”

The City of Palm Coast Customer Service team handled nearly 4,000 calls and cases during this time. In addition, the City’s Communications team distributed 17 news releases, participated in 10 radio interviews, and interacted with over 14,500 residents on social media, ensuring residents received timely information and support. 

Immediately after the storm, the Palm Coast Fire Department and Public Works crews swiftly took action, clearing downed trees and restoring traffic signals to ensure the safety and mobility of our community. At the same time, the Parks and Recreation Department launched cleanup efforts across parks and trails, inspecting trees and playgrounds to make sure our outdoor spaces are safe and ready for residents to enjoy again.

Additionally, the City’s Community Development Department completed the Preliminary Damage Assessment on Thursday and Friday. It was determined that 102 homes were affected in some way. The majority of these homes had minor cosmetic damage. Nineteen homes sustained minor but repairable, non-structural damage. Two homes suffered major damage, with 40-80% of the structure affected, primarily due to trees penetrating the structure. At this time, five homes have been reported to have water intrusion, and no injuries were reported among residents or city staff and no significant damage to any city facilities.

To report storm-related damage to your home's structure or water intrusion inside, visit PalmCoast.gov/Connect and submit a case under the Storm Damage icon. Please only report damage to the main structure of your home—this excludes sheds, screens, and fences. For water intrusion due to Hurricane Milton, only include water that has entered the living areas of your home, not garages, lanais, porches, or pool enclosures. Accurate reporting helps us better assess recovery needs.

On Friday, Public Works partnered with Florida Power & Light (FPL) to safely remove trees that had fallen on live power lines, ensuring roads were cleared for traffic and residents could move safely.

In addition, Old Kings Road experienced a significant failure on Thursday, October 10, due to erosion of a stormwater ditch just south of Oak Trails Boulevard. Stormwater crews immediately mobilized to assess and repair the damage, working tirelessly with the contractor throughout the weekend. Thanks to their swift and coordinated efforts, the road was fully restored and reopened to traffic on Monday, October 14. 

On Saturday, the City’s Utility Department deployed 10 tank trucks to the Woodlands area to remove water from impassable roads. Additional vacuum trucks were also used to clear debris, with efforts continuing to restore safe conditions for all neighborhoods.

Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston praised the dedication of city staff, saying, “Our team has been working around the clock to ensure our city bounces back as quickly as possible. I couldn’t be prouder of the extraordinary efforts our staff have made to keep Palm Coast safe.”

The City will begin storm debris removal on October 16, 2024. Residents are encouraged to place storm debris in the right of way, separating vegetative and construction debris. Bagged debris will be picked up by the regular hauler, FCC, and should be separate from storm debris. 

For further updates on recovery efforts, please visit the City of Palm Coast’s Storm Recovery Page.

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