Hundreds of Houses in Florida Expected to Remain Submerged in Floodwaters Until Thanksgiving in November

Flooded Florida houses due to Hurricane Ian are expected to remain submerged in floodwaters until the Thanksgiving celebrate in late November, the National Weather Service (NWS) warns. One factor behind this is the amount of St. John's River, located in the east side of the state, drained the historic rainfall brought by Ian when it made landfall in the Sunshine State more than two weeks ago.

Ian is reportedly the considered to be Florida's strongest hurricane since a Category 5 storm in 1935, an event known to be as the 'Labor Day Hurricane.' On September 28, Ian made landfall in southwestern Florida, bringing powerful hurricane force winds and torrential rain. Both of these weather hazards resulted in inland flooding and coastal flooding, killing a total of more than 100 people.

Flooded Florida Houses

Hundreds of houses in central Florida are still flooded even after Hurricane Ian has dissipated already. In spite of the massive cleanup efforts in the state, forecasts show that St. John's River is going to retain, for at least next week, a higher water level never seen in almost 60 years. This opened the possibility that the flooded Florida homes may not recover yet until the November 24 national holiday.

Around 400 homes remain inaccessible due to flooding in Seminole County, northeast of Orlando, Florida, according to Steven Lerner, the county planning manager, as cited by CNN. Amongst the flooded areas, the city of Geneva, which is sandwiched along the river and between two lakes, is mostly inundated.

During a phone interview, Lerner told CNN that the area has a history of flooding and many residents are accustomed to it. However, the planning manager is uncertain as to how many inhabitants have already left because of the flooding. The same case can be said for other neighborhood and counties in some parts of Florida, as torrential rain from Ian led to both flash flooding and riverine flooding.

St. John's River Flooding

Local officials have said storm damage and flooding from the St. John's River, the longest river in Florida, along with its tributaries have impacted at least 1,200 residents in the said county, as cited by Fox News. The NWS also told the US media agency that the river has overflowed from Orlando to Jacksonville and recession.

NWS Meteorologist Jessie Smith also told the station the floodwater is already declining in all points but it is receding in a very slow phase.

The severe flooding from St. John's River has caused some businesses to remain shut down. The NWS on Wednesday, October 12, reported the river is in the "major flooding" stage, with water reaching 8.8 feet in the morning, as cited by Florida Today.

The river is expected to remain in its flooded state at least until next Monday, October 17. Furthermore, various media reporting and anecdotal evidence from residents in the affected areas said that they have never seen like this before.