DELAND, Fla. — The Volusia County Council gave the green light to set aside $20 million in federal funds to buy properties that flooded during Hurricane Milton.

What You Need To Know

  • The Volusia County Council  wants to buy properties that flooded during Hurricane Milton, and set aside $20 million in federal funds to make it happen
  • The $133.5 million plan comes from The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Program
  • Funding will also go to stormwater improvements and future storm protection
  • The goal is to focus on long term resilience to help communities rebuild stronger

Volusia County spokesman Clayton Jackson said applicants will have to meet income eligibility guidelines established by HUD. 

Those details will be made available after HUD approves the county’s action plan, which is expected to happen in July or August.

DeLand resident Pam Teator says she dealt with flooding on her property from Hurricane Milton. 

“We moved in last July — we had to move out because of the flooding, then we had to move back in," she said. "Now, potentially, we’re facing moving out again."

Teator is relatively new to Florida but says she loves everything about her home, and she doesn’t want to lose it.

“I just want a home that I can stay in that doesn’t flood," she said. "I hope that’s not asking too much."

Teator's property flooded extensively during Hurricane Milton.

“We had no idea about the flooding in this area when we bought the home," she said. "It was not disclosed when we bought it last July. So, we were prepared for hurricanes, but not the extent of flooding that happens on this road."

Teator and her husband have spent close to $150,000 on renovations since Hurricane Milton, which includes a berm that wraps around her property.

So, when word spread about a voluntary buyout program, Teator said she became interested, but wonders what she needs to do next.

On April 16, Volusia County leaders presented a study about Taylor Road stormwater improvements to the community.

One of the options could involve acquiring Teator's property.  

“Part of the solution to fixing the flooding on Taylor Road would be to enlarge the retention pond, because they can’t dig it any deeper due to the water table,” Teator said. 

JC Figueredo, who lives a few minutes away from Teator, said he has experienced regular flooding on his property as well.

“Every day with this rain we have our fingers crossed," he said. "A couple inches of rain gets absorbed everywhere else is going to mound up here very quickly."

When Spectrum News spoke with Figueredo in January 2025, he said runoff from neighboring developments surrounding his property aggravated the issue of water seeping onto his property.  

Now, he’s trying to get ahead of hurricane season the best he can.

“The ground is still wet, it’s still damp, there’s still standing water," he said. "We’ve also got to remember that in my backyard here, I brought in over 200 loads of dirt trying to combat the water before I understood what the problem actually was. This is elevated from what it used to be." 

And as far as property acquisition goes, once the county purchases land, officials say it will be preserved as an open space, or used for floodplain restoration.

Hurricane season starts June 1 — for more information on how to prepare, visit the Spectrum News Hurricane Preparedness webpage.