NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Following hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022, residents across the state witnessed flooding at their homes like never before.

Municipalities in the past couple of years have either started work, or are in the process of developing flood mitigation projects to help with better drainage.

Homeowners can either wait for a project to potentially mitigate their flood risk or consider applying for the new Elevate Florida program.

In New Smyrna Beach, an area with poor drainage has one homeowner considering an option she never would have dreamed of.

Cindy Harris Shelton has a lifetime of memories at her home in New Smyrna Beach. Her father bought the 10-acres of land off Glen Coe Road in the late 1960s.

“I was probably knee high to a grasshopper when he purchased it,” Shelton said, reflecting on her father’s investment for their family.

When Shelton’s family bought the property at the end of Glenview and Glencoe, the only thing behind them was woods. Back then, they were the highest spot in this portion of New Smyrna Beach, but over time and development, this property has now become one of the lowest spots.

Shelton said the house her father built is 25 feet above sea level, but despite that, you wouldn’t believe what she witnessed and went through during Hurricane Ian.

“During Ian, the water didn’t rise, the water was coming during the storm,” Shelton explained. “My husband and I during Ian — the trees were falling, the wind was whipping around, and my husband and I were out in the storm rescuing our birds and throwing them on the porch because they were drowning.”

Her home did not flood. It was high enough. But her property, neighbors, and the road all flooded.

“We sit 25 feet above sea level, and I’m looking at a sea in my backyard,” Shelton said. “The only thing missing is the waves.”

Another thing she said is missing from her road — storm drains. The road that Shelton and her neighbors privately maintain has swales along the sides that feed water into a wooded area at the end of the road.

According to the county, her South Glencoe area lacks a natural outfall for drainage.

Volusia County officials said they are now assessing priority areas to include in a comprehensive watershed analysis. The South Glencoe area is an area under consideration.

Despite possible help from the county, Shelton took matters into her own hands and applied for a grant from Elevate Florida.

The program helps homeowners with structure elevation, mitigation reconstruction, wind mitigation, and acquisition, or demolition of land or property.

While Shelton’s home has never received storm damage over the years, she said she is willing to sacrifice her home and property and sell them to Elevate Florida.

“You do what’s right so you can sleep at night, is how I was taught,” Shelton said as she began to choke up.

Struggling to find the right words, she seemed defeated and overcome with reality. There’s no clear path to a fix to save her property and others.

Shelton has applied to Elevate Florida to sell her property in hopes they will come in and do flood mitigation to protect all her neighbors down the road.

She’s already made several attempts. By putting in a storm pond as well as a nearly five foot berm between her and her next-door neighbor.

When Hurricane Milton came in 2024, Glencoe flooded again despite Shelton’s efforts.

“Impossible,” Shelton stated. “It is absolutely impossible to keep water contained where water doesn’t want to be contained.”

Currently, Shelton’s application with Elevate Florida is under review and that process takes anywhere from one to four months.

If approved, Shelton will then have to wait and see if or how much of the project she would need to contribute to. The cost could be up to 25% of the project’s total cost.

Until then, she will continue to be in the home her father built and the land the family has owned for over 50 years.

If Shelton’s application with Elevate Florida is approved, the state’s department of emergency management would assist in the transfer of the property to the community.

From that point, the community could look for funding through the hazard mitigation grant program to help construct either a retention pond or other drainage measures.