CONCORD, N.C. - No, there's no racing at Florida's Daytona International Speedway this weekend, but that hasn't stopped the rain from putting the home of the Daytona 500 in the spotlight.As of Friday morning, the National Weather Service monitoring station at the Daytona International Airport (which sits just outside the 2.5-mile track's backstretch) had recorded some 18.54 inches of rain in the month, with over 17 inches of that coming in the last few days.
The substantial precipitation has created some amazing sights at the track as the infield lake has flooded onto the backstretch and the infield access tunnels have been nearly filled to their brim.
Track officials, however, have commented that the rain has yet to produce serious damage to the facilities at the track and have decided not to release photos with the feeling that the residential areas around the track deserve more attention.
ESPN.com's David Newton talked with track spokesman Andrew Booth about the matter.
"It's a significant amount of water, but all it is, is water," Booth said. "We have people living around the speedway and in Flagler County with water in their homes. We believe that is more pressing than water in our tunnel.
The photo above came from a Flickr account, and a few more images exist there showing how the water has risen on the inside of the backstretch almost halfway up the SAFER barrier. The water there seems to have risen out of the infield man-made Lake Lloyd along the track's backstretch that was dug out for the dirt used to create the track's high banks. Nearly 10 feet of water is also shown inside the turn one infield tunnel.
"What happened will not affect what happens in July," said Booth.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-23-2009 @ 5:13AM
nzcr14 said...
LATEST NEWS FROM DAYTONA FLOODS;
FRIDAY MAY 22 EVENING.
RAIN LEVELS INCREASED NOW TO 27 inches.
DAYTONA TRACK; more than a mile of the track under 3-4 feet of water in various areas.
LAKE LOYD inside infield of the track overfilled and overflowed it's now a all huge lake.
TUNNEL TO INFIELD; WATER LEVELS HAVE NOW IN CREASED TO 11 FEET HIGH.
ABOUT 9 FEET HIGH ON THE OTHER TUNNEL.
daytona beach city; 650 houses evacuated and inhabitable; water over 3 feet high in houses.
50% of daytona roads closed and so all the roads around evacuated houses.
DAMAGED TOTAL; MORE THAN A 1000 HOUSES.
40% OF THE MAJOR INTERSECTIONS ARE FLODED AND INACCESSIBLE INCLUDING AROUND NOVA ROAD-CLYDE MORRIS BLVD- AND midway av. close to the track.
BORDER TOWNS ; ORMOND BEACH; 300 HOUSES EVACUATED
500+ DAMAGED.
40% OF ROADS CLOSED.40% OF INTERSECTIONS UNACCESSIBLE.
HOLLY HILL; 225 HOUSE EVACUATED. MORE THAN 300 DAMADGED. 30% OF ROADS FLOODED. 35%% OF INTERSECTION UNACCESSIBLE.
all SHELTERS ARE OVER FILLED.
LATEST REPORTS SO FAR; THE COKE 400 WILL STILL GO ON.
DAYTONA NZCR14 SKY NEWS REPORT, hasta la vista.
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5-23-2009 @ 9:40AM
Kim said...
I am sure sorry for all those folks that live along the Atlantic Coast in Florida, but I have to say a giant WHOOOOOOO for myself!!! Just got back from Miami last Saturday and we had fantastic weather the whole time. Looks to me like I planned my vacation just right. One week later, I would have been a very unhappy camper it sounds like.
When we were in Miami, the local news media was reporting that Florida's rainy season was starting the next week, quite early for them, and was coming in with a vengence. I am sorry for all those who live there. How miserable.
Kim
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