The St. Johns River reached 17.1 feet Thursday morning at the gauge west of Cocoa, Florida, where major flooding is underway. The National Weather Service’s flood warning for that stretch of the river remains in effect until further notice. Forecasters expect the water to rise to 17.2 feet this weekend.
At 17.2 feet, water can enter homes along the river near Lake Poinsett and in low-lying parts of Silver Pines in Rockledge and Shakespeare Park in Cocoa, the weather service says. Flooding at that level can make the Providence Road area impassable, cutting off access to homes around Mullet Lane and Bass Road. The docks and parking lot at Lone Cabbage Fish Camp can also flood.
Thursday’s reading, taken at 7:15 a.m. Eastern, was 1.1 feet above flood stage at this gauge. Residents can follow the Cocoa gauge and forecast. The weather service urges drivers to turn around at flooded roads and leave barricades in place.
Brevard County says flood recovery centers are open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Tony Rosa Community Center, 1502 Port Malabar Blvd. NE in Palm Bay, and the Veterans Memorial Complex, 2285 Minton Road in West Melbourne. Spectrum News 13 reported that both centers are serving residents affected by the county’s recent flooding.
