Flood-mitigation work begins in neighboring New Smyrna Beach

Volusia County officials have broken ground on the Corbin Park Road Stormwater Improvement Project in New Smyrna Beach, a neighboring-city infrastructure effort that could matter to Edgewater residents who closely follow flood-control work across Southeast Volusia. According to Spectrum News 13, the project is designed to help protect homes, businesses and roadways in an area that saw major impacts during Hurricane Ian in 2022.

The county said more than 50 homes were affected in the Corbin Park area during Ian. Officials said the storm exposed drainage limitations and infrastructure that was not sufficient to handle the kind of heavy rainfall and flooding that accompanied the hurricane. The new work is intended to reduce the chances of similar damage during future storms.

What the project includes

County officials said the project will include new stormwater pipes, inlets and utility relocations. Public Information Officer Clayton Jackson told Spectrum News that the improvements are expected to help ease flooding concerns for homes, businesses, roadways and other infrastructure. For Edgewater readers, the project is a reminder that stormwater upgrades remain a major regional priority as communities continue adapting to stronger rain events and hurricane impacts.

The effort is being funded through the county’s Transform 386 program, which supports recovery and resilience projects tied to past storm damage. Jackson said the Corbin Park project received nearly $4.9 million in federal funding through the program, with the City of New Smyrna Beach contributing nearly $2 million in matching funds. He also noted that the county is working on roughly 30 other infrastructure projects through the same initiative.

Why Edgewater readers may care

Although the project is in New Smyrna Beach, it has clear relevance for Edgewater because flooding, drainage capacity and storm recovery are shared concerns across the region. Southeast Volusia communities often face similar vulnerabilities from tropical systems, prolonged rain and low-lying drainage trouble spots. Watching how neighboring cities secure funding and move projects forward can offer a useful picture of what resilience planning looks like locally.

Jackson also said Transform 386 includes other recovery-related components beyond drainage, including housing-related assistance and reimbursement opportunities for some residents who made storm repairs after recent hurricanes. For now, the Corbin Park groundbreaking marks another visible step in the county’s longer-term effort to strengthen infrastructure before the next major storm season tests it again.