ARCADIA, FL, Nov. 5, 2026 — The Peace River at Arcadia climbed into major flood stage Thursday morning and is forecast to crest near 16.4 feet this evening, according to a Flood Warning the National Weather Service's Tampa Bay office updated at 10:58 a.m. EST.

At 10:30 a.m., the river stage at State Road 70 was 16.2 feet, NWS said. Flood stage there is 11.0 feet. Bankfull stage is 10.0 feet. The maximum stage in the 24 hours ending at 10:30 a.m. was also 16.2 feet. NWS said the river "will crest within Major Flood Stage through the end of this week and is forecast to begin a slow decline into this weekend."

Major flood stage begins at 16.0 feet. At that level, "Up to 60 homes at River Acres are flooded" and "The Woman's Club and American Legion are impacted," the warning says. The forecast crest of 16.4 feet compares with a previous crest of 16.0 feet on Feb. 21, 1998, NWS listed in the same alert.

Horse Creek still in minor flood

A companion Flood Warning covers Horse Creek near Arcadia at State Road 72. At 10:30 a.m. Thursday the stage was 12.9 feet, with flood stage at 12.0 feet and bankfull at 12.0 feet, NWS said. The creek had reached 13.8 feet in the prior 24 hours. NWS said Horse Creek "will continue a gradual fall through Minor Flood Stage through the end of this week" and is expected to fall below flood stage Friday evening, reaching about 10.9 feet Sunday morning. At 12.0 feet, "The access road to Hidden Oak is impassable," the warning says.

Both alerts remain in effect until further notice for the Peace River warning and until late Friday night for Horse Creek. NWS urged drivers not to enter flooded roads: "Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles."

Rain has stopped; the river keeps rising

WBBH / Gulf Coast News Now, updating at 11:33 a.m. Thursday, reported flooding in DeSoto County on its third day and quoted Trent Anthony of Canoe Outpost saying the rise was unlike anything he had seen in 30 years except during a hurricane. The station reported some parts of the county saw as much as eight inches of rain and that flooding continues even though the rain has stopped — consistent with NWS's point that upstream water is still moving into the Peace River.

The Sun in Arcadia earlier listed NWS impact thresholds along the Peace River corridor, including flooding on State Road 70 west of the bridge toward County Road 661, State Road 17 east of the bridge toward Parker Avenue, Peace River Campground and Peace River Estates, and the Girl Scout camp. Those thresholds match the staged impacts NWS publishes with the Arcadia gauge.

State emergency order still covers DeSoto

DeSoto County is already inside Executive Order 26-228, the flood emergency Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded on Nov. 4 to 14 counties. Launchpad covered that expansion in Wednesday evening's flood story. The order authorizes the Florida Division of Emergency Management to coordinate state resources and, if needed, activate the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard.

FLSERT posted Thursday afternoon that the FL-COCO warehouse team was moving flood buckets and pumps to communities hit by recent flooding. On Wednesday evening the agency also reminded residents to photograph damage from a safe location before cleanup and pointed people to FloridaDisaster.org/FallFlooding.

What residents should do

NWS and FLSERT both stress staying out of floodwater. Standing water can hide drop-offs, debris and electrical hazards. If your property flooded, document high-water marks and damaged rooms from a safe place before you start cleanup, FLSERT said. For current stages and the next NWS statement (scheduled for midnight EST), check weather.gov and the Arcadia gauge products linked from the Flood Warning.

Skies are drier across much of the peninsula today, but the Peace River's crest is a river story, not a rain story. Upstream rainfall from earlier this week is still draining north and west through the basin. Launchpad will update when NWS revises the crest or when DeSoto County posts new road closures.

Those are the river numbers as NWS and local officials have them this afternoon.

Sources: NWS Tampa Bay Flood Warning for Peace River at Arcadia / Horse Creek near Arcadia, 10:58 a.m. EST Nov. 5, 2026; WBBH / Gulf Coast News Now; The Sun (Arcadia); FLSERT on X; EO 26-228 coverage via Launchpad.

← More State stories · All Launchpad stories · Spotted an error? Request a correction.