Volusia County will begin reopening sections of the beach on Friday that have been closed because of impacts from Hurricane Matthew, officials said.

Volusia County Beach Safety will be flying a single red flag on Friday, which indicates that there are hazardous water conditions, but water activities are permitted.

All 16 miles of the beach-driving zones have been closed because of extensive debris from Hurricane Matthew. To re-establish the traffic areas, conservative zone poles, signs, lifeguard towers and other equipment had to be redeployed, all of which has been ongoing since the day after the storm.

The main concern for swimmers and surfers is floating debris in the ocean, so officials want beachgoers to be aware of their surroundings and make sure they are driving on beaches that allow it.

Jessica Winterwerp, director of Volusia County's Coastal Division, said that while Hurricane Matthew temporarily closed the beach to driving and some dunes were knocked down, it did provide beneficial material to help the dunes regrow.

"Hurricane Matthew was unique because it brought a significant amount of vegetative debris from the ocean to our shoreline," Winterwerp said in a news release. "This vegetative debris is very beneficial to our dune system as it contains organic matter including mangrove vines, roots, seaweed and seeds. Instead of taking this material off the beach, it's being placed at the base of the dunes to help grow baby dunes that will help to buffer the coastline during the next storm. The seeds and vegetation will eventually help to revegetate the dune system, making it stronger."

The driving zones on the beach will open incrementally, starting Friday. The areas are as follows:

  • One-way from Seabreeze Boulevard to University Boulevard in Daytona Beach
  • One-way from International Speedway Boulevard to Silver Beach Avenue in Daytona Beach
  • Dunlawton Avenue to Emilia Avenue in Daytona Beach Shores
  • Flagler Avenue to Third Avenue in New Smyrna Beach