Crystal River, FL (352today.c0m) – UPDATE 9:30 p.m.: Floodwaters did force road closures in Crystal River earlier Sunday. The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) says the water levels have subsided but says the National Weather Service has issued a small craft advisory until early Monday morning.
PREVIOUSLY: The overnight storms dumped heavy rain in parts of north-central Florida.
Residents of Crystal River woke up to flooded streets. While there is flooding, it seems the area was not as bad as anticipated.
As soon as the sun came up, City Manager Doug Baber began surveying the area.
He told 352today that many streets are flooded but are open including U.S. Highway 19.
Baber said authorities have not had to perform any water rescues associated with this storm.
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) reminds drivers that it’s dangerous to drive through standing water. CCSO says just 18-24 inches of moving water can sweep a car off the road.
Crystal River Mayor Joe Meek posted on Facebook around 8 a.m. saying high tide had peaked and water would start receding shortly.
A check of the National Weather Service (NWS) radar as of 9 a.m., shows the storm system had mostly made its way out of the Crystal River area. Conditions will begin to improve for Citrus County. The NWS forecast for Crystal River for the remainder of Sunday is as follows:
Today: Mostly cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 62 degrees by 5 p.m. Windy, with a west-northwest wind 13 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Breezy, with a west-northwest wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.