Hurricane Milton increases flood risks for St. Johns River

Record-level flooding is impacting parts of Deep Creek, driven by heavy rainfall and reverse flow of the St. Johns River caused by Hurricane Milton.

The District is advising residents along the St. Johns River of increased flood risks due to Hurricane Milton. The storm’s high, sustained northeasterly winds are causing the river to reverse its flow for several days, increasing the likelihood of flooding along the river from Jacksonville to central Florida.

“The St. Johns River is a very slow-moving river, meaning it can take weeks for storm-related rainfall to flow through the watershed and for river levels to return to normal,” said St. Johns River Executive Director Mike Register. “The combination of reverse flow and significant rainfall increases the potential for long duration flooding along the length of the river and in low-lying areas.”

Severe flooding is already occurring in several areas throughout the District, including record level flooding in Deep Creek located in St. Johns and Putnam counties. As water levels fluctuate, residents are urged to stay informed by following updates from their Emergency Operations Center for the latest local emergency updates, including evacuation orders and flood-related rescue efforts.

For real-time updates, including flood warnings, river stages, and emergency contacts for local governments, residents are encouraged to visit the District’s storm information page at www.sjrwmd.com/storm.

Media Resources

For media outlets covering this story, high-quality video footage is available for download. The video highlights include drone shots of homes and farmland flooding in areas surrounding Deep Creek in St. Johns and Putnam counties.

Link to video: static.sjrwmd.com/sjrwmd/videos/Drone-Deep-Creek-VO.mp4
B-roll footage is available for immediate use.