High water on Black Creek is finally easing and expected to drop below the 16 foot flood stage by late Sunday afternoon.
It can’t happen soon enough for residents along Black Creek near Middleburg. Recent heavy rain from Friday night pushed water for a second time above flood stage this past week. The river swelled to 18 feet Sunday morning causing water to overflow onto streets.
Recommended Videos
Susan Estabrook posted images on Facebook of water on the roads around Normandy which goes into the tributaries that force Black Creek higher in heavy rain events. Those headlands serve as a catch basin providing early indications of potential future flooding.
More than 5 inches of rain in Clay county was certainly enough to push the water beyond the flood stage and accelerate it’s rapid rush. Canoeists watch out. Streamflow is gushing at 3 mph, far faster than the more typical lazy rate of around one-half mph.
Fortunately less rain is in the forecast and the levels have already begun dropping. Hydrologists predict by Tuesday the height of the river will drop in half...more than 8 feet lower!
Tropical Storm Debby in June 2012 set the highest record inundating 587 homes in Clay county as Black Creek overflowed. Several roads and highways in North Florida were left impassable, after the storm dropped over 28 inches in north Florida.