PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Flooding in El Jobean has neighbors in one community throwing on their rain boots to look at damage caused by Hurricane Idalia.
The neighborhood is in Port Charlotte, just three blocks away from the Myakka River.
"My house is an island right now," said Jean Townsend.
Townsend spoke with Fox 4 on Sunday and said she was going to evacuate. Townsend decided to stay and woke up to the flooding.
"About 3:00 I’m looking out and I don’t see the road out there," she said. "It’s all covered all the way to the main canal."
That canal feeds into the Myakka River. Our Fox 4 weather team says the river is sitting at about five feet as of Wednesday afternoon. It's expected to reach flood stage or crest, this weekend. Numbers show the river will reach around seven feet.
The river also received four to six inches of rain in a 12-hour period.
Even with just five feet of water, it still caused damage to homes surrounding it.
"He [neighbor] lost his AC because it flooded," Townsend said. "My golf cart might not have made it, but I have insurance."
At one point, Townsend said the water was at about mid-thigh. With high tide, she's worried the water will rise again.
"I was praying that it [water] wouldn’t come in the house," she said.
Thankfully, it didn't. However, it got close.
"The brick wall in front, it was up to that," Townsend said.
The wind was also a concern for Townsend but told Fox 4 at this point, she hasn't seen any wind damage.
"Thank god we’re safe," she said.
