The National Weather Service has extended a flood warning for the Manatee River near Myakka Head at SR 64 in Manatee County, and the numbers behind it are worth a second look. Friday night at 8:15, the river stage sat at 11.6 feet. Flood stage is 11.0 feet, and bankfull is just 7.0 feet, so the river is running high and wide through that stretch of rural Manatee County. Minor flooding is occurring and is forecast to continue until the warning expires Saturday morning.
The river is expected to fall below flood stage late Friday night and keep dropping, reaching 7.8 feet by Monday evening. That 11.6-foot crest matches a previous crest of the same height recorded on August 24, 1985, which puts this week’s rain in rare company for the area.
The practical impact is local: at 11.0 feet, a private road and bridge about a mile downstream flood, and agricultural areas in rural Kibler begin to take on water. Drivers who use SR 64 through Myakka Head should plan an alternate route and never attempt to cross a flooded road or bridge, since the condition of the roadway underneath isn’t visible. Property owners in the Kibler area should move vehicles, equipment and outdoor items to higher ground while the river recedes. Have you dealt with high water on the Manatee River before? Share your experience in the comments.
