Over a month after Hurricane Irma, the Withlacochee River in Hernando County is finally below flood stage. 

  • Withlacochee River finally below flood stage a month after Irma
  • Residents in Ridge Manor area can begin clean up process
  • River crested at 17.7 feet; considered a major flood stage

Residents whose properties were affected by the flood waters can now begin the long process of cleaning up. 

Most of the water is gone, but everywhere you look in the Ridge Manor area, are signs of just how high the water got. 

Barbara Schmidt said she just got power back at her house last week. The house she shares with her husband was spared, but water did get inside her son's home. 

"They told us back in '04 when we flooded that we would never flood again, and I don't understand what happened," Schmidt said. 

Now that the water has receded, she is able to start removing fallen tree limbs in her yard. But as for her son's home, she said they are still waiting on FEMA to come out and inspect it. 

Her neighbor's home also saw some flooding. Ralph Cocchi said they moved several items in his daughter's house into a shed to protect them from the storm, although most of the items were damaged by the rising waters. 

He said one of the worst parts of the entire experience was the anticipation as the water started to rise. 

"Every few days they say it's crested the first time...by the 10th time they say it's going to crest, we're like...my daughter was all upset, my wife was all upset," Cocchi said.

He said he was using a canoe to get out of his house before they evacuated. The bottom part of his daughter's house did see some flooding, although he said they almost have it cleaned up so his daughter can come back home. 

While everyone in the area is glad to see the water go down, they say they don't want to risk having to go through this again. 

"I think we're about done living on the river," Schmidt said. 

The Withlacochee River crested in the Ridge Manor area at 17.7 feet, which is considered a major flood stage. The river starts to hit flood stage at 12 feet.