DADE CITY, Fla. — Flood waters from the Withlacoochee River are creeping even higher, with Hernando County sheriff’s deputies taking people from their homes to dry land.
The flooding is widespread, as the Withlacoochee is very broad and meandering, and its flood plain is normally dry. It flows north, so even though Hernando County didn’t get as much rain from Hurricane Milton as places south, much of what fell into the Green Swamp is slowly going upstream where the river level is expected to approach an all-time high.
It's turning dozens of homes into unwelcomed waterfront property.
“I have to stay positive,” Ben Chabra said. “I can't control this. I didn't expect it to be this bad, and it's only gonna get worse.”
For Chabra and his pregnant wife, it only took a few hours on Monday for water to flood half their home. The entire home will likely flood by Tuesday afternoon as the Withlacoochee River continues to rise.
Marshall Briscoe lives across the street and says this flood, made worse by water-logged ground from previous hurricanes is the worst ever to hit this neighborhood north of Dade City.
“A lot of trepidation, a lot of worrying,” he said. “I'm tired. We've been constantly moving things in and out, trying to get what we could, helping each other.”
Sheriff’s deputies will be on the water again Tuesday asking residents if they’d like a lift to dry land. A shelter is open at the Enrichment Center at 800 John Gary Grubbs Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34601. It's pet-friendly and has accommodations for people with special needs.
“It's unfortunate, but thankfully for our neighborhood, a lot of people have come to help as much as we can,” Chabra said.
With no more rain in the forecast, clean-up is underway for most of us hit by Helene or Milton but with water on the river expected to take more than a week to recede, these families are forced to wait.
“It’s devastating. It's our first house, you know?” he says. “We're having our first child, and I don't know how long this is gonna be. We're expecting in January, so the question is, ‘do we even have a house in January?’”