Heavy rains have brought flooding to parts of eastern and central Pasco County, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flood warning for the Hillsborough River and Cypress Creek.
Those two waterways at Hillsborough River State Park and Worthington Gardens are expected to rise above flood stage by the weekend, officials said. Up to 5 inches of rain is expected to fall in a short period of time, creating more water than the area can handle.
At Worthington Gardens, Cypress Creek was reported at a depth of 4.5 feet. However, the river is expected to rise above its flood stage of 8 feet by early Friday morning, and could rise as high as 10.3 feet by Sunday morning. Depending on what happens with the weather, there is a chance it could rise even more before it starts to drop back down.
At the 8-foot flood stage, the recreation area on State Road 54 near the creek would flood. At 11 feet, however, flooding would begin to threaten homes on State Road 54.
It’s the first time since August 2003 Cypress Creek has been this high, where at the time, it crested at 10.3 feet.
A flood warning means that flooding is imminent or already occurring along larger streams that is causing a serious threat to life or property. Officials warn residents and others in the area to not drive through any bodies of water.
Worthington Gardens is the area of central Pasco County near Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes where State Road 56 meets Interstate 75, not far from where the new outlet mall has begun construction. Hillsborough River State Park is located on U.S. 301, just south of Zephyrhills.
