River Flooding At Lowest Level Since Before Ian

    Tuesday brought a landmark moment to the Astor community. US Geological Survey data indicated that on Tuesday the St. Johns River receded out of 'major' flood stage, the first time the river had done so since Hurricane Ian arrived in late September.
   On Tuesday, the river was at three feet, continuing a steady decline that began shortly after Tropical Storm Nicole passed through the area a few weeks ago. Three feet above flood stage is considered the high-end of ‘moderate’ flooding, with ‘minor’ flooding still several days away should the trend continue. ‘Minor’ flooding arrives at 2.3 feet, which if current trends continue could be seen in the next week or so.
   Several factors influence water levels in Astor, including rainfall further south, which creates more water to flow north, and winds from the north, which can slow, or even reverse the river’s natural northerly flow.
   The river's receding has improved the situation in flooded areas of the riverfront community, with the river - in many cases - no longer covering roads or threatening the number of homes seen during the worst of the flooding, when the river hit a record high of 4.7 feet above flood stage.