Black Creek flooding could drive out residents

Clay County officials are warning some Middleburg residents to keep an eye on rising waters in Black Creek after Tropical Storm Debby.

The north prong of Black Creek has reached 20 feet deep as of Tuesday afternoon — 4 feet above flood stage — and the south prong near Penney Farms was at just over 15 feet, according to National Weather Service data .

Some of the 500 to 1,000 residents who live along the creek should consider leaving before they are surrounded by churning tea-colored floodwaters, said Timothy Devon, Clay County’s emergency management director. The main concern is for those on the north prong, he said.

“It is almost right at 20 feet for the flood stage, so we are right at moderate, right below major, for that flood stage, Devon said. “It is not all the way to their second floor decks. However, their swimming pools are covered and it is up to their back doors. So there are no backyards, no bulkheads; you can’t really see their docks — it is covered by water.”

Tropical Storm Debby dumped 4 or 5 inches of rain on parts of Northeast Florida as passed the region Monday, after landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in the Big Bend area. The storm continues to churn north through Georgia as it moves offshore. The Weather Service states that around 2 more inches of rain, with possible flooding, will continue through Wednesday in the Jacksonville area.

As for the Black Creek area, Monday’s storm was just the first part of what it takes to cause flooding there, Devon said. After the initial winds and rain comes a second issue, he said.

“Usually a day or two later, you have all of that runoff from all of the land that’s around that presents a second flood stage. That is what we are currently monitoring right now,” Devon said. “We are right at moderate flood stage for both of our flood gauges. The south prong on Florida 16 right near Animal Services, so we are watching to see if we need to evacuate them.”

One concern is that some residents along Black Creek who might have evacuated did not because the tropical storm was a bit lighter in impact when it came through, Devon said. They could become “islands that may need rescuing at some point,” he said.

The Weather Service forecast calls for flooding on the North Fork of Black Creek through Wednesday afternoon. It says Lazy Acres Road could flood, with some homes affected. Similar issues are forecast along the South Fork of Black Creek near Penney Farms through Wednesday morning. Flooding could affect low-lying driveways and access roads along Creek Street, Black Creek Drive and Lightning Lane, the forecast said.

Devon said that could start to recede by late Wednesday or early Thursday, then return fully to normal levels by the weekend.

Fore more information on hazardous weather effects in Clay County, residents can dial the Emergency Management Call Center at (877) 252-9362 (CLAYEOC).

For now, the Black Creek Ravines Conservation Area is closed.

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