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DESOTO COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) – Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency for seven counties because of flooding: Brevard, Hardee, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, St. Lucie and DeSoto.
Schools are closing in the affected area. All schools in the DeSoto County School District are canceled through Wednesday, Nov. 4, because of flooding and concerns about road conditions.
Reporter Alyssa Perry said water remained near a grassy area in the Voss Oaks neighborhood in Arcadia. Earlier in the day, water had covered the road completely, and drivers had difficulty getting through the area.
A resident who has lived in the neighborhood for about six months told Perry he has not experienced flooding like this since moving in.
High water causes dangerous conditions in DeSoto County and North Port
“It rained all day,” the resident said. “And it just steadily rose until it was way over the road. And now it’s just now receding.”
Neighbors Perry spoke with said they are concerned about what will happen when more rain moves toward the area.
First Alert Chief Meteorologist Bob Harrigan said more storms are expected to move through the area Monday night. Rainfall totals have reached up to a foot near Avon Park and Sebring, and in Highlands, eastern Hardee and DeSoto counties, he said.
Harrigan said that amount of rain is what would be seen with a tropical system. He said more moisture is moving toward the area, entering the southern part of Highlands County and moving into Hardee and DeSoto counties near Arcadia.
A First Alert Weather Day is in effect Tuesday for inland counties only. Harrigan said rivers will continue to rise, even though rainfall is not expected to match totals from the past 48 hours. He said scattered storms are forecast for Tuesday and coastal locations are not affected for now.
Water that fell earlier in the day is receding and flowing into the Peace River and Horse Creek, Harrigan said.
He said the area had been under a severe flood warning, shown in red on the weather map. The map now shows green, which he said means flooding is ongoing and could worsen with additional rainfall.
The Peace River is expected to crest just west of Arcadia on Thursday evening. Harrigan said 60 homes could be inundated.
