PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — First responders rescued 150 people across Pasco County as communities from Elfers to Zephyrhills saw what the county referred to in media alerts and on social media as "historical flooding."
"It's unbelievable," said Nick Burgess, who lives in the Silver Oaks community in Zephyrhills.
Nick and his family said they woke up Thursday morning thinking they'd made it through Hurricane Milton mostly unscathed. Their power is out, and a large tree Nick's grandfather planted in the front yard of his home — which was once owned by his grandparents — was uprooted.
Burgess pointed out a bench he put in the yard in honor of them wasn't damaged, and neither was his home. Then, they saw the water rising.
"We've never seen anything like this before," said Nick's father, Dan Burgess, Sr. "In 1998, we had half of what you see there."
Water now covers a chunk of the community, spreading from the front entrance on Eiland Boulevard. The Burgesses said the only water in the immediate area is a large pond in the neighborhood, and the water levels keep rising further into the neighborhood.
Friday evening, they were creeping closer to Nick's house. He used sandbags and plastic to seal off his front entrance, and he also planned to set up a Tiger Dam.
"It was actually given to me by one of my wonderful neighbors who, unfortunately, has flooded out. He said, 'I don't have any need for this because the water's waist high in my house,'" Nick said.
A Pasco County spokesperson said the Hillsborough River to the south of the city is in major flood stage. On top of that, Zephyrhills got a huge amount of rain from Milton.
According to Spectrum News Meteorologist Brian McClure, the city was in a heavy rain band to the north of Milton's eye and saw 14 inches fall. That's an amount the area would normally see throughout several days — not all at once.
The west side of the county saw unprecedented flooding, too. Water covered the parking lot of the Wyndlake plaza on Old County Road 54 near the intersection of State Road 54 in New Port Richey Friday afternoon. Nearby, the Seven Springs Travel Park RV Resort and Best Treatment Network were also surrounded by water.
The county is recommending voluntary evacuations for Elfers, Cypress Creek at Worthington Gardens, Thousand Oaks, and anyone in low-lying areas prone to flooding. A spokesperson said flooding in these communities was caused by the overflowing of the Anclote River, as well as pockets of very heavy rain.
Nick said he's hopeful things don't get worse in Silver Oaks, but also notes he's grateful.
"We thank God we have our health and our life and we made it through the storm. At the end of the day, this is just material items," he said.
Brian McClure said the Hillsborough River crested Friday night at 16.6 ft. flood stage and is expected to go down through the weekend and into next week. He said the Anclote also crested Friday at 26.3 feet and would drop in the coming days.
The county posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that water levels in neighborhoods were expected to continue to rise. People are reminded not to drive through flood waters and to be prepared to leave their home if they live in an impacted area.
A new shelter for flood victims was opened at the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex at 7727 Boyette Creek Road. A full list of shelters can be found here.