10/28/2024
Flooding Persists Along the Withlacoochee River
Withlacoochee River:
Flooding persists along the entire Withlacoochee River as strong flows caused by Hurricane Milton make their way down the river's 160-mile length.
• Some locations along the Withlacoochee River are dropping, some are now cresting, and others are still rising 2 ½ weeks after Milton.
• Most areas along the river (from the Green Swamp to Hwy 48) have crested and are slowly dropping.
• Last Wednesday (10/23) the river near Hwy 48 and Trails End reached its highest level and began slowly falling over the weekend.
• It appears that areas near Lake Panasoffkee, the Outlet River and Wysong are rising very slowly now and should be cresting over the next day or so.
• Downstream near Hwy 44, the river is still rising but not as sharply as it had been over the past week. River levels there should crest this week, maybe only rising another few inches.
• At Hwy 200, the Withlacoochee is also still rising. NOAA predicts it will continue to rise this week, possibly cresting another 4-6 inches higher.
• River levels are also still rising near Dunnellon, as historic flows make their way downstream. Dunnellon may rise several more inches by this weekend.
• The Inglis Dam at the west end of Lake Rousseau remains open discharging 3 billion gallons of water per day from the river into the Barge Canal near the Gulf of Mexico.
• Within the next week, all areas along the Withlacoochee River should have crested and begun to slowly drop.