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River Surges Into Flood Stage In Astor

     A wet week in Central Florida has sent the St. Johns River in Astor into flood stage.  The river has risen over a foot in the last week, with a no wake/idle restriction in place early this week as the river inched over 2.8 feet, well over the 2.0 feet that activate 'flood stage' protocols. By early Tuesday, the river appeared to stabilize at just under 2.8 feet.
    It has become more common for the river to flood in the early fall in Astor, as the northerly flowing St. Johns River gathers water from Central Florida toward its terminus in Jacksonville. In recent years, the river has risen to as much as 4 feet at times, considered the modern-day record for flooding. The all-time recorded flood was in 1933, when the river hit 4.55 feet.
    Astor's geographic location on the river has made it susceptible to flooding, as a narrowing of the river and winds from the north off of Lake George can slow, or even reverse the river's northerly flow, causing water to back up in the Astor area.  
    The United States Geological Survey denotes 2.0 feet as an actionable flood stage level, with 2.3 feet defined as minor flood stage.  Should the river rise to 3.0 feet, a ‘moderate’ flood stage condition would be declared.  A major flood is identified at 4.0 feet.
    While flooding was an issue last fall, the river this week is nearly a full foot above the same time last year, a potentially troublesome fact should a tropical system arrive bringing a large amount of rainfall in a short period of time.