HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — At 19.6 feet, the water at Withlacoochee River at U.S. 301 Trilby continues to rise to near-record levels not seen in decades, the National Water Prediction Service said in its report Thursday.
This news comes as families near the river evacuate. Nearly a week after Hurricane Milton made landfall, river flooding remains a major issue in low-lying neighborhoods in the Tampa Bay area.
The river's top three most historic crests are as follows, according to the service:
- 20.38 ft. — June 21, 1934
- 20.06 ft. — Sept. 12, 1933
- 19.38 ft. — March 23, 1960
Rising water levels prompted the Hernando County Department of Transportation to close the north and southbound lanes of US 301 due to flooding from the river.
It will be in effect until river levels subside.
The flooding destroyed Sheyenne Hazen's Dade City home, where she lived with her fiance and three children. She said it has been agonizing to watch the water continue to rise over the last week.
"I feel at a loss. I feel there’s no control, you can’t fight with the weather. You can’t fight with Mother Nature," said Hazen.
Hazen said she and her family won't be moving back to that home, despite how much they loved being close to a river.
"We moved into this house because we love the property. We loved that it’s by a river and we’re river people," Hazen said. "But I can tell you 100% that we will never have a place near any body of water [again.] There’s no telling that something like this can’t happen again."
Sheyenne Hayes and her family lost everything in the flooding. They are fundraising to help them start over. If you'd like to support them, click here to visit their GoFundMe page.
Crews from local sheriff's offices, police departments, fire departments and Florida Highway Patrol have been going through impacted areas in boats and highwater vehicles, rescuing families from homes and bringing them to nearby shelters. Some have refused to leave, and they have been checking in on them while providing non-perishable food and water.
The Hernando County Sheriff's Office said it will continue to patrol the flooded neighborhood until the water recedes, which could be several weeks to a month.