Flooding issues continue for North Port following Elsa

Floodwaters continued to impact areas of North Port.

Many people have stocked up on sandbags while others have evacuated as the flooding gets worse.

According to a news release from the city, about half-dozen vehicles were stuck in the high water needing rescue crews to respond.

The good news is the water hasn’t gotten much higher but the flooding is more widespread and has begun to block more streets and started to creep into yards.

The roads affected are those near the Myakkahatchee Creek. Four feet of water fills low-lying city streets, and many vehicles can’t pass through the flooded roads.

Authorities are also limiting the traffic to local residents.

However, no homes were flooded yet, but people in the affected area are preparing for the possibility of wet floors this weekend.

Region 6 Strike team was deployed Friday morning to help with the issues. The group includes members from nearby government agencies in addition to high water vehicles and boats.

Also deployed is the Urban Search and Rescue Team Task Force 6, from Lee County, which spent about a week digging through the rubble of the Surfside building collapse.

On Thursday, the city ordered voluntary evacuations for areas affected by sheet flow from rains deposited by Elsa, as the storm moved through the area earlier this week.

At least three people utilized the city’s emergency center, the city said.

Water gauges to the north of the city, near State Road 72, are currently lowering, but the City of North Port estimates it could be before Sunday before those effects will be felt.

“We’re hopeful the water will move laterally between ditches, and not up, into homes,” said Josh Taylor, public information officer for the City of North Port. “We’re asking that roads in the area stay to local traffic and that people respect the fact that water could be pushed into homes from the wake of vehicles.”