As Hurricane Milton approached, residents along the Withlacoochee River prepared for flooding.
Krystee Van Den Bosch, a utility forester for Withlacoochee River Electric, who lives two streets from the Cypress Preserve, said she has noticed that the river has become a lot higher this year.
“We've just been keeping an eye on it,” she said.
Bosch prepared for the storm by stocking up on the necessary provisions, making sure she has a source of electricity if the power goes out and filling up bottles of water in case their water is contaminated by the storm.
She has also seen her neighbors preparing for the storm by boarding up their windows and putting away any objects that could become airborne.
Cindy Pruiett, who moved to the area from Georgia about a year ago and lives a block from the river, has not evacuated because she said she can't afford to leave, and everywhere she's checked is fully booked. She said she has prepared for the storm by praying and filling sandbags.
Hurricane Milton hit Florida’s west coast Wednesday night with winds of up to 125 miles per hour. The rainfall from the hurricane was expected to cause the Withlacoochee River to rise to about 16 feet in the Trilby area in northeast Pasco County and 10.9 feet in Croom near Brooksville. The water level at the Trilby gauge currently stands at 9.2 feet, while the Croom gauge is at 7.3 feet. Moderate flooding occurs when the river reaches 14.2 feet, and major flooding at 16.5 feet.
Mark Fulkerson, the chief professional engineer at Southwest Florida Water Management District, said that the National Weather Service is forecasting the Withlacoochee River in Hernando County to reach moderate flood stage. But it could go higher, he said.
The river at Trilby is predicted to approach major flood stage by Monday and keep rising, while the river at Croom is expected to reach moderate flood stage, said Fulkerson. This would cause the river in both areas to flood many roads and buildings in low-lying areas. Ridge Manor and Nobleton could also experience similar flooding, with many roadways and properties inundated.
Hernando County is currently under a Flood Warning, Hurricane Warning and Storm Surge Warning. Emergency Management is also monitoring the Withlacoochee River at US 301 Trilby and Croom ahead of Hurricane Milton.
Sandbag locations are now closed due to the worsening weather; however, sandbag locations will reopen after the storm to help residents combat potential flooding from the Withlacoochee River.
Renee Thomas, a worker at the Ridge Manor Community Center sandbag site, said her crew filled about 2,400 sandbags on Tuesday and about 2,600 on Monday. She also mentioned that Ridge Manor Community Center is the smallest of the sandbag locations. The Spring Hill location on Anderson Snow Road filled about 17,000 sandbags Tuesday and about 15,000 the day before.
“It’s been crazy,” she said.
Thomas said many people who come by her sandbagging location are “frazzled” and worried about the hurricane destroying their homes. People come to fill their sandbags, go home to put them where needed, and then return for more while the location is still open.
According to the Office of Water Predictions, when the river reaches 12 feet, flooding begins at Lacoochee, Talisman Estates, Riverdale, and River Heights Estates. Then, at 14.2 feet, River Road, east of the river, is flooded. When water levels approach 15.3 feet, Riverdale trailers are flooded, and at 15.6 feet, water is two to three feet over the bridge at Clay Sink Road and State Road 575. At 19.2 feet, water approaches the U.S. Route 301 bridge roadbed.
According to The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Withlacoochee River is a 157-mile stream that originates in Green Swamp in Hernando County and flows north to the Gulf of Mexico at Yankeetown.
It is one of two rivers in Florida that run northward. The upper Withlacoochee River's flow primarily depends on surface water inputs such as rainwater, while farther downstream, the river is fed by groundwater.
Fulkerson said the entire Withlacoochee River is still high due to the large amount of rainfall it received during the wet season. The swamps, creeks, and wetlands in the Green Swamp remain wet, so heavy rain from Hurricane Milton will cause the Withlacoochee River downstream to rise.
Southwest Florida Water Management District monitors the river at several points along the river. Some locations include the Withlacoochee River at US 41 in Dunnellon, the Rainbow River, the Withlacoochee River in Inverness, the Withlacoochee River at Croom and the Withlacoochee River at Trilby.
Alex Burwell, 30, is the owner of the Breakfast Station at Ridge Manor. They stayed open until noon on Wednesday so utility workers and first responders could have a place to grab breakfast before having to hop back on Interstate 75.
“Everybody needs stuff to eat, and as long as it's not endangering my employees or myself, we'll be here for the community,” Burwell said.
Fulkerson said the Withlacoochee River is expected to flood higher than it has since Hurricane Irma when it rose to 17.67 feet. Before that, the river had not reached over 15 feet since 2004, when four hurricanes hit Florida in six weeks, causing the river to rise to 16.55 feet. The highest the river has ever been was 20.38 feet in June of 1934.
Bosch said she thinks the hurricane will impact the community by bringing people together.
“People come together, you know, they put aside everything else, and they go into that survival mode. And they try to do what they can for their neighbors and the greater good, and so it'll band us together.”
