Weather
The flood that flows north: St. Johns River nears major stage west of I-95 as south Brevard dries out
The St. Johns River near Cocoa was at moderate flood stage early Thursday and is forecast to reach 17 feet, major flood stage, around 1 p.m. Friday and stay there into next week. Here is what that means for Rockledge, Cocoa, Lake Washington and Lake Poinsett.
River data from the National Weather Service, observed 7:15 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. Forecasts can change; check water.noaa.gov (gauge COCF1) and weather.gov/mlb for updates.
The water that flooded south Brevard this week is now moving into the St. Johns River, which flows north, and that is the next problem for western Brevard. At the gauge near Cocoa, the river stood at 16.86 feet at 7:15 a.m. Thursday, above its 16.5-foot moderate flood stage, and is forecast to reach 17.0 feet, the start of major flooding, around 1 p.m. Friday. The forecast keeps the river near 17 feet into early next week.
Heavy rain that began Sunday brought upwards of 22 inches to parts of Brevard, a 1-in-1,000-year flooding event. While the water is receding in most areas, it is draining into the southern end of the St. Johns.
What major flood stage means here
At 17 feet, the weather service says, flooding reaches some roads and water approaches low-lying homes in the Silver Pines subdivision in Rockledge. Many yards, ditches and pastures flood, water approaches low-lying structures along Pluckebaum Road in Cocoa and Rockledge, and low-lying structures in the Lake Washington area of Melbourne flood.
At 17.2 feet, above the current crest forecast, water can enter homes along the river in the Lake Poinsett area west of Cocoa, as well as low-lying homes in Silver Pines and the Shakespeare Park area of Cocoa. The Providence Road area west of Cocoa can become impassable, cutting off homes on Mullet Lane and Bass Road, and docks and the Lone Cabbage Fish Camp parking lot flood. Already at 16.7 feet, water can encroach on homes and enter low-lying homes along the river near Lake Poinsett.
These are the weather service’s planning impacts for each river level, not reports that those homes are flooded now. A flood warning for the river near Cocoa remains in effect until further notice.
The water moves north
“Now we’re dealing with the anomaly of this water flowing north and then causing some secondary flooding in some areas that either have already had flooding or escaped the first round,” Don Walker of Brevard County Emergency Management told Central Florida Public Media on Wednesday.
He said the county would warn residents west of Interstate 95 about “a potential for some flooding, even possibly some severe flooding” into the weekend. He estimated the river would peak around 17 feet and “could be there for a couple days.” The county was looking at opening more shelters and suggesting evacuations for at-risk areas, the station reported.
Walker, the county’s director of communications, also said residents in areas threatened by rising river levels should be prepared to evacuate if necessary, WFTV reported. Officials are watching Lake Washington and low-lying areas west of I-95 in Rockledge and West Cocoa. 321 Daily has not found a countywide evacuation order for the river corridor as of Thursday morning; being ready to evacuate is not the same as an order.
Damage and rescues so far
Brevard County officials said more than 2,000 residents have reported flooding that affected their homes, a number reported before the flooding at Lamplighter Village, WFTV reported. That is a count of residents’ reports, not of damaged buildings.
At Lamplighter Village, a 55-and-older community in Melbourne, about 100 rescues took place, Spectrum News 13 reported, citing Brevard County Emergency Management, with fire-rescue and sheriff’s units using airboats and military-style vehicles. Volusia County deputies assisted with about 14 of those high-water evacuations, WFTV reported. Lamplighter Village and Barefoot Bay remain areas of concern.
State emergency
Brevard remains under the state of emergency Gov. Ron DeSantis declared Monday for Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Highlands, Hardee and DeSoto counties. On Wednesday he expanded it to Glades, Hendry, Lake, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, Seminole and Volusia counties, bringing the total to 14. The order activates the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard.
Shelters and updates
A shelter is open at South Mainland Community Center, 3700 Allen Ave., Micco, and the American Red Cross shelter is open at the Wickham Park Senior Center, 2785 Leisure Way, Melbourne, Central Florida Public Media reported Wednesday. Confirm current shelter status on the county’s Storm Center page or by calling 2-1-1 before you go.
River gauge COCF1 (Cocoa): 16.86 feet at 7:15 a.m. Thursday, moderate flood stage. Forecast: 17.0 feet, major, around 1 p.m. Friday, holding near 17 feet into early next week.
Flood stages at this gauge: action 15.8 feet, minor 16.0, moderate 16.5, major 17.0.
Watch areas: Silver Pines (Rockledge), Pluckebaum Road (Cocoa and Rockledge), Lake Washington (Melbourne), and Lake Poinsett, Shakespeare Park and Providence Road west of Cocoa if the river passes 17.2 feet.
Updates: water.noaa.gov (COCF1), weather.gov/mlb, brevardfl.gov/StormCenter, 2-1-1.
Based on National Weather Service river data and warnings, and published reports. 321 Daily did not seek comment for this story.
