SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – Officials in Sumter County will consider extending the state of emergency from Hurricane Milton Monday as residents continue to deal with flooding along the Withlacoochee River.
Extending the state of emergency will allow local emergency officials continued access to any county assets they need to ensure people are safe.
Recommended Videos
Crews this week have been rescuing people stranded by the rising river in the Croom area. A voluntary evacuation for the area was issued on Monday. At the time, officials told News 6 that the river was expected to rise past 13 feet by Friday, Oct. 18.
As of Friday, the river is currently at 19.67 feet, just shy of the record of 20.4 feet. The river is forecast to hit 19.8 feet at 2 a.m. Saturday, and then start to come down.
News 6′s meteorologists said it could take days for the river’s flood stage to get below the major flood stage level of 16.5 feet, possibly all week. That means residents will be dealing with flooding for some time.
Earlier this week, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office rescued 11 people and several animals, who were moved to a shelter. On Thursday, the agency said it delivered water to residents who were stuck at their homes because of the flooding.
The sheriff’s office said the following in a statement to News 6:
“We will likely continue to monitor the waterway, we hope that those who need to evacuate do so. We ask that any Sumter County residents who need assistance, contact us 352-793-2621 or in the event of an emergency 9-1-1.”
The special meeting with the Sumter County Commission will be held Monday at 5 p.m. at The Villages Sumter County Service Center at 7375 Powell Road in Wildwood. Anyone needing help accessing the meeting should call 352-689-4400 to make any special arrangements.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: