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Astor Flood Conditions Worsen

    Flooding conditions in Astor have worsened in the past week, with the St. Johns River continuing to rise throughout the last several days to put area roads underwater and impact homes in sections of River Country.
    On Tuesday, the river was well into the 3-4 foot flood stage, defined by the US Geological Survey as 'moderate' flood stage.  The river had peaked at just over 3.4 feet, a rise of nearly a foot since the same period a week ago.
    The continued rise of the river places roads, yards, boat docks, and more underwater in low-lying areas along the river, with sloppy conditions being found throughout the area as saturated ground continues to expand and the late-summer soggy conditions worsen.
    While fall is traditionally a time when the river can see bulging conditions that lead to flooding, the river was at just 1.93 feet on the same day (September 17) last year, well below flood stage.  Historically, September sees the river at just over 2.0 feet on September 17, indicating that Astor could be in for a time of worsening conditions should historic trends continue into October.
    Several specific conditions contribute to flooding in Astor.  One is the community’s location on the river, with the river being narrow through the area.  Another is a propensity of winds out of the north slowing, or even reversing the river’s normal northern flow which causes water to ‘back up’ in the Astor area.  Perhaps the most immediate condition is tied to the amount of rain central Florida has received in recent weeks.  Many rivers in central Florida feed into the St. Johns River below Astor, producing millions of gallons of additional flow trying to get north.  While the situation can be felt throughout the river’s system, Astor finds itself in a geographic location that can result in flooding conditions lasting for many weeks, if not longer, in certain situations.
    On Monday, USGS data indicated the river was indeed flowing south into the Lake Dexter area, and predicted the river would remain in at least 'moderate' flood stage into the weekend, but slowly drifting lower.