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Strong wind, rain forecast cause flooding concerns for some Brevard County residents

Along Indian River Drive in Brevard County, gale-force winds continued Wednesday to push water over the roadway, while residents living by Lake Poinsett were keeping an eye on the lake’s near-record level.
The swollen St. Johns River and Indian River systems have caused ongoing flooding issues for residents after Hurricane Irma dumped rain on Central Florida.
With more rain forecast for the area in coming days, the problem could get much worse.
In the 50 years that Ralph Becket has owned his Lake Poinsett home, he’s never seen the water level so high.
At 17.37 feet, the lake’s water level is just inches away from the 17.5-foot record set in 1953.
“I check it every hour,” Becket said of the water level. “It looks like it’s gone down a little bit.”
You can see how any further rise in the water level could cause a lot of problems, he added.
“The water is about this far from coming in our house,” he said. “But the entire house is over pilings.”
On the beach, the king tide has rolled in, bringing huge waves and causing concerns about potential erosion.
If the winds calm down over the weekend, Brevard County officials believe the impact for area beaches already battered by Hurricane Irma could be lessened.