Monitoring: Any rainfall poses threat for St. Johns River, nearby communities

ORLANDO, Fla. — St. Johns River water levels are rising during this time of year, and although the dry season is approaching, a late-season tropical storm or hurricane could cause flooding risk for communities nearby.

Located in Sanford, Lake Monroe’s water level is at “action stage”; this is the level before “flood stage”. But even when the lake is not officially at flood stage, the boat ramps are closed, as are the ramps below water.

It turns out that all the rain that fell during the wet season across parts of Central Florida is flowing back to the St. Johns River, which is one of the few rivers that flow from south to north in the United States. All the water passes through slow-flowing Lake Monroe, elevating the water levels, which can make the water flow backward due to the increasing tide levels.

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We are monitoring lake levels closely during this time of the year. Although the river levels are forecast to slightly decrease during the next five days, any rainstorm can cause major flooding for communities around lakes along the St. Johns River’s path.

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