NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Hurricane Debby is gone, but right now a new threat is impacting homeowners across Tampa Bay as rivers continue to swell and may soon spill over their banks.
The biggest threat for continued river flooding may be in Pasco County where the Anclote River is rising fast. It could finally crest at 22 feet -- more than twice its normal level.
Though the rain has given way to sunshine again, the water isn't leaving Margarita and Robert Bender's backyard anytime soon.
“It was bad,” Robert said. "We had rain sideways. We had trees moving. We had gusts between 40 to 45 miles per hour.”
The couple lives in Greenbrook Estates and say it's been more than a decade since the river was this high, oddly enough during Tropical Storm Debby in 2012. That’s when the Anclote had its highest level ever recorded, at 27 feet, causing widespread flooding.
If the water level gets to 23 or 24 feet, some homes downstream in Anclote River Estates may have to evacuate, according to the National Weather Service.
“The water level is still increasing,” Bender says. “Even by the hour, it's going up about a foot, foot and a half at a time.”
That's because the Anclote watershed goes from Land O' Lakes to Holiday and south to Tarpon Springs, feeding into the river that eventually meets the gulf. 10 Tampa Bay chief meteorologist Bobby Deskins says this is always a focus after a major storm.
“Usually those river levels will increase and crest, peak about one to three days after the rainfall event, depending on how much rainfall you see,” he said.
Backyard docks in the Bender’s neighborhood, normally about fifteen feet above the river are now almost under water.
“It's been higher, but, you know, I can't go on my dock,” Margarita said.
Robert thinks soon the water will stop moving up and start moving out into his yard.
“I think what it's going to do tonight, and by the time it, you know, it reaches its peak, I’m going to say it's going to be about halfway into my lawn right now,” he said.
While they aren't concerned about water getting into their home, it's a waiting game for them to see just how close it'll get.
“Time will tell, you know, how fast this water will come in,” he said.
Wednesday night is when the river should be at its highest before it begins to go down, but it will happen slowly and take nearly a week to return to normal levels.