GENEVA, Fla. — Several Central Florida communities along the St. Johns River have seen the worst of the river’s crest more than a week after Hurricane Milton.

According to NOAA’s water prediction service, the water levels at Lake Harney, which the St. Johns River flows through, reached its peak of 10.1 feet at around 2 a.m. Friday.

In the midst of it all, residents bordering Lake Harney in Geneva agree, for the most part, that nothing will compare to the flooding they experienced after Hurricane Ian two years ago.

Even though access to certain homes was impassable because of the floodwaters Thursday, they believe the worst has already passed.  

What You Need To Know

  • Water levels of St. Johns River above Lake Harney crested early Friday morning at 10.1 feet

  • Residents still experiencing bouts of flooding, making access to certain roads and homes impossible

  • Despite the rising water levels caused by Milton, Geneva residents say nothing will compare to the damage caused by 2022 Hurricane Ian

  • According to NOAA’s water prediction service, water levels at Lake Harney are set to remain just over ten feet through Tuesday morning

Bobby West remembers when he had to kayak just to get into his home after Hurricane Ian.

“Yeah, kayaks in the house. But I never want to experience that again, you know?” he said.

West said that in his 30 years of living in his Geneva home, he has never had water enter the house like it did during Ian.  

That is why he says the rising St. Johns River levels are not as much of a concern for him this time around.

“Right now, it’s maxed out. It’s going to start dropping slowly over the next weeks. It won’t go up any higher, so we’re safe,” he said.

Floodwaters from Lake Harney after Hurricane Milton. (Spectrum News/Sasha Teman)

If anything, he said it is more of a nuisance for residents who are simply trying to get into their homes, since many driveways and home fronts are still flooded with several feet of water, more than a week after Milton.

However, when it comes to thinking long term, West says he is worried about the impact that climate change might have on hurricanes and flooding in his community.

“I grew up here and I remember when I was a kid, we had a hurricane every 10 years or so. Now it seems like we have one every two or three years or five years,” West expressed.

West says he’s now made it a habit to check NOAA’s water prediction service before and after a storm to know what to prepare for.

Storm preparedness has also been top of mind for another Geneva resident, Dan Watts, who had to vacate his home for seven months after Ian struck. 

“We do have sandbags. We’ve put up some retaining fencing around the pool to keep the floating debris out,” he said.

Floodwaters from Lake Harney following Hurricane Milton. (Spectrum News/Sasha Teman)

Despite the growing number and intensity of these hurricanes in recent years, both Watts and West agree that it is still not enough to keep them away from this community, which they deem a slice of paradise.

“You take what you get and living here, you just have to deal with it,” Watts expressed.

Despite hurricanes, one thing they don’t have to worry about is snow.

“Winter’s coming and I don’t have to shovel snow,” West said.

As of Thursday night, there were six homes that remained without power in Seminole County.