ASTOR, Fla. – Residents along the St. Johns River in Astor are once again facing flooding threats as water levels continue to rise, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flood warning Monday.

The river reached 3.3 feet Monday morning, a full foot above flood stage, with forecasts indicating waters will remain at moderate flood levels throughout the week.

“Probably within the last four hours or so it raised a couple inches,” said Ashley Garcia Romans, who lives at the corner of Hazelnut Road and Holly Road.

She’s no stranger to the roads around her home flooding.

“There have been times where kayaks have been needed to get off the porch and out to the road. Had to park the cars down the street and then either kayak or walk to the cars because you can’t drive through it,” Garcia Romans said.

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The National Weather Service reports that at current levels:

• Canals have overflowed into yards

• Homes near Wildhog, Bonnet and Snail roads are becoming inaccessible

• Several inches of water are entering homes along the river and canals

• Docks at Astor Bridge marina are completely submerged

• Multiple streets, including Bartram Road and Holiday Circle, are inaccessible

This recurring flooding issue prompted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct an investigation following devastating floods from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022. The federal agency recommended several improvement projects, including modifications to Hazelnut Road, but some residents remain skeptical about their effectiveness.

“They just want to make it bigger to try to spread the water out but it’s not going to stop the water from covering the road or making it easy to do anything,” Garcia Romans said.

FEMA provided over $924,000 in disaster aid to Astor residents in 2022 alone. Despite the challenges, many residents remain committed to their riverside community.

“It’s such a pretty place, especially being right up next to the water,” Garcia Romans explained. “But it makes it tricky to try to figure out what to do and when to do it because you can’t just up and sell your house. You can’t just up and get rid of your property especially when you’ve worked so hard to live here and take care of everything.”

The National Weather Service expects the moderate flooding conditions to persist through this week, and residents are advised to monitor local weather updates and follow emergency management instructions.