I think you are being naive about hurricanes. Anywhere in Florida is a potential hurricane or tropical storm target and worse, anywhere in Florida can be impacted via both wind and rain. There is no assured safe haven from those elements although most of inland Florida is safe from storm surges. Also keep in mind many areas in Florida are below or at sea level. Southwest Florida has some real issues. The Miami Dade and Broward areas are not much better. The OP is right to be concerned. You might want to look at the path of 1964 Hurricane Dora. Also 1999 Hurricane Floyd impacted Daytona Beach. A hurricane doesn't make landfall to do significant dame. Skirting up the Atlantic Coastline is enough.
Naive? I'm only dealing in facts, the history of hurricanes in some areas. We're discussing Daytona, not Southwest or South Florida.
Now, as to storm surge and threat in Broward, we live on a canal, just off the ICW. The history says no major storm surge where our home is located. The flood zones say the same. Insurance is not in the high flood range. This area of Fort Lauderdale was not even impacted heavily by Andrew. For our home to be impacted by storm surge it would have to be record surge for our location. The hundred year history would not reach the home.
As to Hurricane Floyd, perhaps you were there and have first hand knowledge, which I don't. However, the information I found indicates that over a million people were evacuated in Florida but ultimately it had little impact. It hit as a tropical storm and it did cause beach erosion on the East Coast. However, to your point, it did damage some piers in Volusia and Brevard Counties and 357 houses inland. Floyd only caused $45-50 million damage in Florida, but billions in NC.
I point out that was also 16 years ago.
I agree that anywhere on any coast has the potential of a hurricane. However, people generally believe the East Coast of Florida has more hurricanes and damage than it actually does and they believe further north has less than the reality.
I was reluctant to look at Hurricane Dora as it was long before I was born. It was famous I guess as the first storm since records were kept to have hurricane wind speeds in Jacksonville. It's greatest damage was north of St. Augustine. Dora and Cleo teamed up a bit too, then were followed by Hilda and Isbell.
I'm not saying to not have a hurricane plan. I am saying that the odds of a hurricane of major proportion hitting in any given year are relatively low in Daytona Beach.
