Flood waters from the swollen Anclote River are threatening homes in Pasco County.

Due to excessive rains from Friday and Saturday, the Anclote River at Elfers has exceeded its banks and has reached major flood levels.

Officials have issued an evacuation order for residents in flood prone areas of Elfers in southwest Pasco County.

This evacuation order is in anticipation of additional rain Sunday. The Anclote River is currently at 23.47 feet, is predicted to go to 24.5 feet at 8 p.m. Sunday night, and at 24 feet the area is in major flood stage.

The evacuation area is as follows:



Main roadways include: Celtic Drive and Elfers Parkway

North boundary is State Road 54

Ella Lane to the south

East boundary is Dellefield Street and Riverbank Drive

West boundary is Glenside Drive

Nearby Anclote River Estates is part of an evacuation order. Heavy rain pounded the area for the better part of three days and officials say all 321 homes in Anclote River Estates are at risk.



"I urge people to listen to the warning," said Emergency Management Center Director, Anette Doying. "In Tropical Storm Debbie this very same neighborhood was the sight of our single drowning fatality and that's not to be taken lightly. So this is an area for significant danger for the people in the lowest part of that area."

Law enforcement officials and firefighters went door to door along Elfers Parkway picking up people who want to evacuate and taking them to the Presbyterian Church for shelter.



But not everyone is fazed by the high water. Anclote River Estates resident, Stacie Lester said she’s seen worse and isn’t leaving her home.



“I don’t see it getting worse than Debbie because when we had Debbie that was really high, we’ll see if it gets to that point we might not have choice, but until then they’ll have to make us leave,” said Lester.



But for 80-year-old Mary Jackson high water is too dangerous. She is spending the night at the shelter alongside Amanda bailey and her family of six who are without power.



“It was really hot there, we had to get the children in a better situation then what we were in,” said Amanda Bailey.



The American Red Cross has opened a shelter for affected residents in the evacuation area.

The shelter is located at the First Presbyterian Church of Port Richey, located at 7540 Ridge Road, Port Richey, 34668.

Staging for residents in need of transportation to the shelter will take place at Bealls Outlet store at 7101 State Road 54, New Port Richey.

The river, providing no additional significant rain falls, should drop below flood stage Monday night.

Meanwhile, a flood watch remains in effect for Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee counties until 8 a.m. on Monday.



A flood warning has been issued for the Little Manatee River at Wimauma from Monday evening until Thursday morning.

At 3 p.m. Sunday the stage was 9.4 feet. Minor flooding is forecast. Flood stage is 11.0 feet. The river is forecast to rise above flood stage by tomorrow evening and continue to rise to near 12.0 feet by Tuesday evening.

The river is expected to fall below flood stage by early Thursday morning.

A stationary front is parked right across the area Sunday morning with an area of low pressure developing along it. This front and low feature promise to move little through Tuesday.

As a result, more rain, and some heavy is expected. Temperatures will rise to the upper 80s today.

"Monday looks similar to today, the morning should be mainly dry, but the afternoon will bring areas of heavy rain and storms," Kacmarik said. "Flooding will be possible."

Numerous showers and scattered thunderstorms with locally heavy rain off the west coast, of Florida mainly from the Tampa Bay area and south, will spread onshore impacting the coastal counties from Tampa Bay south and will move over the interior by early afternoon.

Additional showers and thunderstorms will develop over the remainder of west central Florida this afternoon with the heaviest rain likely along the Interstate 4 corridor and south.

However there remains uncertainty where the heavy rain will set up this afternoon as slow moving thunderstorms are possible over a good portion of west central Florida along a stalled trough across the central Florida peninsula.

The ground remains saturated in the watch area due to heavy rains the past couple of days.

Any additional heavy rain will trigger areal flooding of urban areas, streets, and low lying areas, especially across northern Pinellas and Hillsborough counties and Pasco county.

Moderate flooding is occurring on the Anclote River, and additional river flooding is possible if heavy rain becomes concentrated in other river basins.

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Pasco County sand bag locations

Southwest Pasco County is one of the most flood-prone areas in the region, and the county is offering sand bags in the following locations:



Fire Station #17, 2951 Seven Springs Blvd., New Port Richey

West Pasco Government Center, 7536 State Street, New Port Richey

J.W. Mitchell Park, 4025 Little Rd., New Port Richey

Across from the Fleet Maintenance Building, 6420 Pine Hill Road, New Port Richey.

All sand bag locations will be open 24 hours through the weekend. Residents must bring their own shovels and are limited to 20 sand bags per household.

Pasco officials are urging residents to visit the county's Emergency Management web page and monitor Pasco County main page for press releases at www.pascocountyfl.net.

On Friday, a storm water pipe collapsed and created a depression three feet wide and 2 1/2 feet deep at 7701 Cumber Drive in New Port Richey. It has been roped off and barricaded at this time.

Hillsborough County sand bag locations

The county has extended the hours sandbag materials are available to the until 4 p.m., weather-permitting, at all three public works service Units:



West Service Unit at 9805 Sheldon Road

South Service Unit at 8718 Old Big Bend Road

East Service Unit at 4702 Sydney Road

Sand bag materials will be available for Hillsborough residents to make their own sand bags. Each resident must sign his or her name and provide a home address acknowledging the receipt of 25 sand bags or fewer.



Residents can call 813-272-5900 to report flooding and road problems or to request additional information.

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