Florida beach homes fall into Atlantic during Nicole
Beach properties in Daytona, Florida, collapse into the ocean due to beach erosion from Nicole. (Credit: Brandon Clement/ LSM)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Several homes have been heavily damaged and appear to be on borrowed time until they collapse into the Atlantic Ocean along the shores of a neighborhood near Daytona Beach as massive beach erosion continues in the wake of Hurricane Nicole.
Drone footage from storm chaser Brandon Clement with Live Storms Media shows four of the dozens of homes in the Wilbur-By-The-Sea area torn apart by the relentless surf. In one home, the ground is giving way underneath their outdoor deck, and a palm tree succumbs to gravity as the camera rolls.
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Several homes sit damaged from severe beach erosion from Hurricane Nicole in Daytona Beach, FL. (Brandon Clement / LSM / FOX Weather)
Next door, the surf has already washed away any semblance of a backyard or deck and has left the bottom floor exposed; stacked-up dining chairs now visible from behind the missing wall.
Several homes sit damaged from severe beach erosion from Hurricane Nicole in Daytona Beach, FL. (Brandon Clement / LSM / FOX Weather)
Their neighbor has a massive backyard pool and outdoor deck now left hanging over the raging seas with only small metal support poles holding them up as the surrounding earth continues to wash away.
Several homes sit damaged from severe beach erosion from Hurricane Nicole in Daytona Beach, FL. (Brandon Clement / LSM / FOX Weather)
The fourth home had already sustained the most damage as of Thursday morning; the single-story beachfront home has had much of the roof and ocean-facing walls torn off, exposing a bedroom and living room that must have been treated to countless sunrises over the years. A long pool sits cracked in half in what used to be their backyard, already part of the massive debris field piling up along the shoreline.
Several homes sit damaged from severe beach erosion from Hurricane Nicole in Daytona Beach, FL. (Brandon Clement / LSM / FOX Weather)
The four homes are just among several in Volusia County in danger of destruction from the surf.
Dozens of buildings in grave danger from advancing surf
County officials said 24 hotel and condominium buildings are now unsafe to enter – including 10 buildings that have 10 stories or more – while 25 homes in the Wilbur-By-The-Sea neighborhood are declared structurally unsafe.
Condo buildings in Daytona Beach Shores under evacuation due to erosion
Six condominium buildings in Daytona Beach Shores are under evacuation ahead of Tropical Storm Nicole's landfall in Florida. The buildings have been deemed unsafe due to erosion.
"The structural damage along our coastline is unprecedented," Volusia County Manager George Recktenwald said in a news release. "We have never experienced anything like this before, so we ask for your patience as we make our assessments. As always, the safety of our residents and visitors is our top priority. This is going to be a long road to recovery."
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Homes are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: People look on at homes that are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Homes are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Homes are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Lisa Lavigna takes pictures of her mother Nina Lavigna's home after it partially toppled onto the beach as Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Homes are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Homes are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: A resident rides his bicycle past homes that are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: In this aerial view, homes are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: People look on at homes that are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: People look on at homes that are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Danny Sonn (L) and Warren Hoganson (R) help homeowner Nina Lavigna salvage what she can from her home after it toppled onto the beach as Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Homes are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: A view from the 18th floor of a condo building shows a condo building damaged when Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The storm surge associated with Nicole coincided with already-high tides caused by this week's full moon, putting more stress on aging sea walls meant to protect coastal communities. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: In this aerial view, homes are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Danny Sonn (L) and Warren Hoganson (R) help homeowner Nina Lavigna salvage what she can from her home after it partially toppled onto the beach as Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: In this aerial view, seawalls along condo buildings are shown breached by Hurricane Nicole on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The storm surge associated with Nicole coincided with already-high tides caused by this week's full moon, putting more stress on aging sea walls meant to protect coastal communities. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Tina McGiley helps her neighbor Nina Lavigna salvage what she can from her home after it partially toppled onto the beach as Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: In this aerial view, a seawall along a condo building is shown breached by Hurricane Nicole on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The storm surge associated with Nicole coincided with already-high tides caused by this week's full moon, putting more stress on aging sea walls meant to protect coastal communities. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: In this aerial view, Warren Hoganson (lower L) helps homeowner Nina Lavigna salvage what she can from her home after it partially toppled onto the beach as Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: In this aerial view, homes are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: In this aerial view, homes are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Sara Greene helps her neighbor Nina Lavigna salvage what she can from her home after it partially toppled onto the beach as Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Anna Daabies stands near a condo building damaged as Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The storm surge associated with Nicole coincided with already-high tides caused by this week's full moon, putting more stress on aging sea walls meant to protect coastal communities. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: In this aerial view, homes are partially toppled onto the beach after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: A view from the 18th floor shows a condo building whose seawall was breached as Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The storm surge associated with Nicole coincided with already-high tides caused by this week's full moon, putting more stress on aging sea walls meant to protect coastal communities. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Danny Sonn (L) and Warren Hoganson (R) help homeowner Nina Lavigna salvage what she can from her home after it toppled onto the beach as Hurricane Nicole came ashore on November10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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HOME COLLAPSES INTO THE SEA AS TROPICAL STORM NICOLE ERODES FLORIDA COASTLINE
Daytona Beach Police Chief Michael Fowler told FOX Weather the situation along the beachfront is a "worst case scenario."
"Right now it’s too hazardous out there. If one of these buildings go down… or if you go out on your back deck and fall in, we’re not going to be able to get to you," Fowler said. "This surf is way too big; it’s not safe."
Hurricane Nicole came ashore in nearby Vero Beach at 3 a.m. Thursday with sustained winds of 75 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is the first to strike Florida's Atlantic Coast in November since the Yankee Storm in 1935.