Ian damage in Lake County: $4.5 million and counting. And that doesn't count flooded Astor
ASTOR — Clumps of hyacinth zipped along a swift St. Johns River current on Monday, past homes, streets and businesses that had been either flooded or threatened by Hurricane Ian.
“That’s a good sign,” said Lt. Earl Conyer at the Lake Sheriff’s mobile command center.
It certainly was a good sign for two residents out walking their dog and checking their mail.
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At one point, the river had swamped their boathouse, and it still floods their yard. An alligator has been hanging around, but no snakes. Water also covers many roads.
“At some point, it’s been better than Irma," one of them said, referencing the hurricane that flooded Astor in 2017. “We got power back on faster.”
Flooding will continue 'for the foreseeable future'
That man, a retired Space Coast worker, is like many longtime Astor residents: They won’t let major flooding rain on their parade. Not even when the river crested on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 4.71 feet – a record, said Scott Kelly, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
On Tuesday, it was expected to be 4.5 feet, which is still major flooding. Flood stage is 2.3 feet.
Flooding will continue “for the foreseeable future,” according to the National Weather Service.
“They’re telling us it could last another two weeks,” Lake County Property Appraiser Carey Baker said on Monday, referencing officials at the Emergency Operations Center.
His appraisers have not yet been able to get into Astor neighborhoods to assess the damage. When they do, they may find many people like Mike Jarosz, who fled the storm when it was raging but came back to find their home was not flooded.
“No damage,” he said.
The damage total so far: $4.5 million
So far, Lake has recorded $4,511,000 in damage, Baker said. It could go up another $2 million by the time Astor damage is included.
The biggest concern is when water enters the interior of homes. “The longer water sits the worse the problem,” he said.
The quality of the water is of some concern, too. Water covering roads is murky, with occasional mini oil or fuel slicks. When a dog walker's short-legged pooch splashed into the water to chase an ibis, his owners shook their heads.
“He’s going to need a bath now. I’m not too sure about this water,” said the man.
Flood waters are known to flood sewage systems, too.
A big concern is that the river flows north, and the river is flooded downstream, too, including Cocoa, which will have moderate flooding until water slowly begins to recede by the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
River flooding above Lake Harney has caused water to cover State Road 46 in Seminole County. In DeLand, in Volusia County, the water will continue to rise, cresting at 6.4 feet, and will remain at that level throughout the week.
Some rainfall and thunderstorms are forecast for later in the week. Temperatures will be in the mid to upper 80s but dipping into the lower 60s at night. Rain is expected to be ¼ or ½ inch but could be an inch, Kelly said.
Astor can become flooded during regular heavy rainstorms.
Some wisdom from a longtime resident
The retired Space Coast worker is not worried. He politely declined to give his name, saying he was pestered by TV news crews while trying to relax on his front porch.
His biggest concern is that other Floridians will want to move to the Astor area when they realize how beautiful it is. He remembers the days when Osceola, now filled with rooftops, was rural, low – and wet.
“It was used for cattle,” he said, “for a reason.”
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Hurricane Ian damage in Lake County, Florida: $4.5 million so far
