St. Johns River At Flood Stage In Astor

    Steady, and sometimes heavy, rains throughout Central Florida in the past week have raised the St. Johns River in Astor into flood stage. The US Geological Survey’s data complied at the SR 40 bridge indicate the river rose into flood stage last week, and peaked on Monday at 2.52 feet above flood stage.
    The river gathers rainfall from tributaries throughout Central Florida, water which flows north before eventually entering the Atlantic Ocean in Jacksonville. Astor’s unique geography, lying south of Lake George in an area where the river narrows, leaves it susceptible to flooding, which is not uncommon in the fall.
    Additionally, winds coming from the north across Lake George can slow, or even reverse water flow in the river around Astor, a situation that can see the riverfront town impacted from both the north and south as water is pushed into the area from two directions.
    The worst flooding in Astor in recent years occurred in 2017. In September of that month, Hurricane Irma's impact added large amounts of water to the traditional seasonal high water in the river, with flood waters rising to near-record levels, which is 4.6 feet above flood stage. Then, residents had to abandon homes in certain areas, or were able to reach their homes only by boat.
    This year, the river is expected to stay mostly in the minor flood stage range, which rises to 3 feet. In fact, US Geological predictions from early in the week indicate the river should recede to just over 2 feet above flood stage by this weekend.