Daytona Beach ranked among most affordable beach towns in the U.S., according to Thrillist
Daytona Beach has earned the reputation as the “World’s Most Famous Beach” for its stunning coastline, vibrant restaurant scene and, of course, NASCAR and racing at the speedway. And now the city is eyeing another title: one of the nation's most affordable beach towns. That is how Thrillist, an online travel, food and entertainment publication, classified Daytona Beach in a recent list with other affordable beachside locations across the country. With an average median home price of $256,550, the site points to the city's proximity to Orlando and other beaches, its dwindling spring break crowds and the chance to drive on the beach as some of the factors that may attract new residents. But what does a local realtor have to say about the assessment, and what other towns made Thrillist list? Why is Daytona Beach among the U.S.’s most affordable beach towns? Daytona Beach Realtor Paul Pratt agrees that the city is among the most affordable beach towns in Florida. But Thrillist’s median home price does not represent the full picture. “The average for three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes is probably $330,000. That’s probably a little more accurate,” Pratt said, adding that prices for those types of homes on the beachside normally range from $300,000 to $350,000. “As far as single-family homes, $250,000 can’t really go; it’s a very long way. But $330,000 is still pretty affordable.” While he could not say for certain what Thrillist’s number is based on, “there are some modular homes, there are townhouses, there are condos – all that sort of stuff. That’s probably where they are getting their info from.” He said the lack of industries in the area makes the city less attractive to a broader demographic beyond those seeking to retire. Besides Bike Week and NASCAR, Pratt said the weather and proximity to other famous beach towns, such as New Smyrna Beach and Ormond Beach, as well as to Orlando and Disney World, might be what is most attractive to those considering moving to Daytona. What other cities made Thrillist’s most affordable beach towns list? Daytona was not the only Florida city to make the list. Thrillist also listed Deerfield Beach in Broward County, with a median home price of $297,138. The South Florida beach town, the site states, is close to other prominent coastal cities, such as Palm Beach and Miami (both more expensive) and has a more “local” feel. Other notable towns mentioned on the list include Long Beach, Washington ($329,795); Myrtle Beach, South Carolina ($301,846); Swansboro, North Carolina ($322,288); and Coos Bay, Oregon ($319,282). Towns mentioned in the lower price range included Texas’ Port Arthur ($84,937) and Freeport ($122,312), as well as Ocean Springs, Mississippi ($243,412).
Forecast Suggests Below-Average Hurricane Season
Forecast Suggests Below-Average Hurricane Season By Alex Harris Early reports often change, but Colorado forecasters say an El Niño development in the Pacific Ocean suggests fewer hurricanes, with 13 named storms predicted. MIAMI – After back-to-back years of grueling and devastating hurricane seasons, early forecasts suggest that 2023 may offer a bit of a break – at last. The pre-season forecast from Colorado State University, released Thursday, calls for a below-average hurricane season, thanks to the development of an atmospheric phenomenon called El Niño that dampens storm activity in the Atlantic. CSU predicts this season will include 13 named storms, six of which will become hurricanes and two will become major hurricanes, which is category 3 or higher. An average season includes 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes. Hurricane season in the Atlantic runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, with a peak in August to September. But predicting what the season will hold gets dicey this early. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration makes its official prediction for the season – the gold standard – in late May. But academic outlets and for-profit weather companies often make early season predictions, and CSU’s is one of the highest regarded. Its latest prediction falls closely in line with several others, including the well-known European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, or Euro. “Hurricane seasons are not random. There are clues in the atmosphere that can tip us off,” said Phil Klotzbach, CSU meteorologist and lead author of the forecast. “Those clues really seem to appear this time of the year.” However, Klotzbach warned, predictions get more accurate the closer to the peak of the season. “There’s a lot that can change between April and August when the season really ramps up,” he said. El Niño – or nothing? Several early season forecasts call for normal or below-normal storm activity this hurricane season, and that prediction hinges largely on whether or not an El Niño will happen this year. El Niño is the name for an atmospheric phenomenon that reaches across the globe, warming waters in the Pacific Ocean and shifting the upper-level winds in the Atlantic. That usually makes it harder for tropical storms to form and brings a colder, wetter winter to the East Coast. “That wind shear has somewhat of a protective effect on Florida,” said Ryan Truchelut, the chief meteorologist of private weather service Weather Tiger, which also predicts a normal or below-normal season ahead. For the last three years, the Atlantic has seen the weather pattern at the opposite end of the spectrum, a La Niña. Unlike El Niños, La Niñas are usually associated with more storm activity in the Atlantic and less in the Pacific. These weather patterns make a big difference for the number of storms that form. Truchelut said that since 1900, La Niña seasons include an average of 0.8 land-falling hurricanes a year in Florida, compared with 0.4 land-falling storms a year for El Niño seasons. This year, meteorologists are split on whether an El Niño will form (and when) or if the season will remain right in the middle of the two extremes, known as ENSO neutral. The latest official prediction from NOAA says there’s an 82% likelihood one will form by August to October. “Both of those paths forward are possible. It’s also possible that we don’t get an El Niño at all,” said Truchelut. “In the spring, you always have to take El Niño and La Niña predictions with a big grain of salt.” And even if an El Niño forms, it’s not a guarantee of a quiet season for Florida, as much as the storm-slapped state needs it. In 2018, an El Niño formed toward the end of the season, dampening all storm activity. But not before a small window of perfect storm conditions opened, just big enough for Category 5 Hurricane Michael to swell and crash into the Panhandle. “I don’t want people to take away from this that they don’t need to be prepared for hurricane season. Even in an El Niño year, there’s a significant chance of Florida seeing a landfalling storm,” Truchelut said. “It lowers the odds, but we live in the most hurricane-prone part of the US and it’s just a fact of life. That risk is always going to be with us.” © 2023 dpa GmbH. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
DeSantis announces $100 million in hurricane erosion help. Here's how much Volusia County got
DAYTONA BEACH SHORES − Standing in front of a leveled bathroom at the Dunlawton beach approach Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Volusia County will get the largest slice of a $100 million pie for beach erosion projects in the wake of Tropical Storm Nicole in November. In a December special session, the Legislature approved that $100 million for projects on Florida beaches in 16 counties. Of that, DeSantis said $37.6 million will go to Volusia County beaches. DeSantis noted that dozens of beachside structures were deemed unsafe. In November, he visited Wilbur-by-the-Sea just to the south, where 25 homes were destroyed by pounding waves and eroding sand during Nicole. Much of the state's attention was trained on the Fort Myers area, where Hurricane Ian made landfall in September. The governor drew a comparison, offering that while more homes and infrastructure was damaged in Lee County, the Volusia beaches lost the most sand. Ian's deadly path: A visual look at how the hurricane devastated Florida region by region "I tell you, this erosion was worse than they had in Southwest Florida. They had serious problems there, don't get me wrong, but this has been that one-two punch I think with the two storms," DeSantis said. He ran through a number of state-sponsored hurricane projects, including $100 million for hurricane stormwater and wastewater grants so communities can repair damaged infrastructure. DeSantis said the state created a $50 million hurricane restoration reimbursement grant program, helping homeowners prevent coastal erosion on their own properties. The program is run through the Department of Environmental Protection and is expected to begin taking applications on Feb. 1. The Legislature eliminated property taxes for residents whose homes were rendered uninhabitable because of the hurricanes. Florida is providing $350 million to local governments to assist with paying FEMA matches for costs such as debris removal. Finally, the state provided $150 million for home repairs and relocation costs and helping with insurance deductibles. Promising tax relief in upcoming legislative session The governor did not specify whether more funding will be in his budget for hurricane relief, but House Speaker Paul Renner, a Palm Coast Republican, said lawmakers will continue to look at how to strengthen beaches during the legislative session that starts on April 10. “Everybody that lives in a coastal community knows that the lifeblood of our economy is our beaches. No beach, no Daytona Beach," Renner said. "And that’s true for all the beaches.” DeSantis has his attention trained on cutting taxes, starting with eliminating sales taxes on diapers, wipes, children’s clothes and cribs. And he quipped about a Consumer Product Safety Commission proposal to consider new safeguards related to gas stoves after research pointed to links with safety, pollution and asthma. “We may even say no tax on gas stoves,” DeSantis said to an approving audience. Which Florida counties are getting money for hurricane erosion? In addition to the hurricane relief money Volusia County is getting, DeSantis announced: $23 million for Lee County $17 million for Flagler County $4.6 million for St. Johns County $4 million for Indian River County $3.2 million for Brevard County. Lori Campbell Baker, executive director of the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, reacted to the announcement after several tough months for the community's tourism industry. "It's super-positive," Baker said."In terms of what we're looking at (in recovery), it will definitely help. We're excited about the progress that is happening so far, but we cannot wait to see this all behind us." DeSantis said Florida is in a good fiscal position to respond to natural disasters. "Most states, especially states that are running big deficits, they don't have the wherewithal to respond to these types of issues," he said. "And so in Florida, we have record budget reserves in this state, over $20 billion surplus that we ended last fiscal year with, and so we're able to do things and we're able to respond." In November, the Volusia County Property Appraiser's Office estimated that at least $481 million in damage had been caused by Hurricane Nicole, with $363 million of it in Daytona Beach Shores. Combined with the damage from Ian, a hurricane that was downgraded to a tropical storm when it plowed through, Volusia County suffered at least $858 million in damage. Daytona Beach Shores Mayor Nancy Miller said it’s been important that the government funding programs are being done with unprecedented speed. “We’ve gone fast on a lot of the things, but we still have a lot of need," Miller said. "We need to work on our dune restorations for our city, for our county and for our residents.” Some residents and business owners have complained about how long it takes to apply to build a permanent seawall. In response to a question about those complaints, DeSantis pointed to the Department of Environmental Protection secretary, Shawn Hamilton, saying: “I always tell him, "Permit. Permit, just do it when you have stuff like this. Just do it.” Hamilton said DeSantis' "message has been received loud and clear,” and his staff are working to get and review information to ensure the safety of habitat as quickly as possible. The DEP will hold office hours for permit-seekers at 440 S. Beach St., Daytona Beach, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Staff Writer Jim Abbott contributed to this story.
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