VALRICO, Fla — Days after Hurricane Debby made landfall, river flooding remains an issue in communities across the Tampa Bay area.
The Alafia River is currently in a "major" flood stage. River Drive, in Valrico, is now just the river as several feet of water surround homes in the neighborhood. Data from the National Weather Service shows a river gauge in Lithia indicated the river crested at 20.17 feet early Wednesday morning — well above the "minor" flood stage at 13 feet.
The water level continues to slowly recede.
RELATED: River flooding from Hurricane Debby to last for days, may get worse in some Tampa Bay areas
With some cars stalled out in the flood, communal canoes are like taxis around the neighborhood. On Wednesday, many people were paddling back and forth to bring supplies for themselves or family members forced to stay in place inside.
“It’s disappointing aggravating, cause I’d rather see the water going down now,” said Mary Simpson said.
“You could be cooped up in your home for a long time,” she added about the flooding.
Even for folks like Simpson who’ve lived in the neighborhood for a while and have dealt with major floods in the past, it doesn’t make things any easier.
“Stress, honestly, we didn’t know it was gonna get this deep,” said Brian Kirkpatrick, who lives down the road.
But in this community, they’re also flooded with support from other folks delivering food and goods, helping tow cars out of the neighborhood and standing by ready to help until River Drive is drivable again.
“That’s what we do, we accommodate each other, that’s the American way, right?” Richard Eaves said.
The Alafia River is expected to remain in a major flood stage through Wednesday night before the water goes down. It's anticipated things will look better by the weekend.