Update, 12:25 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026: NWS Melbourne's 9:26–9:29 a.m. Flood Warnings still hold moderate flooding near Astor (stage 3.2 feet at 8:30 a.m., flood stage 2.3) and minor flooding near DeLand (4.0 feet, flood stage 4.0), with Astor forecast near 3.5 feet this weekend and DeLand rising toward 4.7 feet Monday. Separately, the Peace River at Arcadia reached major flood stage; see that story.

ASTOR, FL, Nov. 5, 2026 — Flood warnings on the St. Johns River north of Brevard's record rainfall stayed in effect early Thursday as runoff works its way toward Lake and Volusia counties, the National Weather Service said.

NWS Melbourne's Flood Warning for the St. Johns near Astor, issued at 9:03 p.m. Wednesday and still active overnight, said moderate flooding is occurring and is forecast to continue. At 8:30 p.m. Wednesday the river stage near Astor was 3.3 feet, above the 2.3-foot flood stage, NWS said. The forecast kept the river nearly steady around 3.3 feet late this week, with a slow rise this weekend toward 3.5 feet.

At 3.5 feet, NWS said canals overflow into yards; homes on or near Wildhog and Bonnet roads become hard to reach with water in some homes; docks at Astor Bridge Marina and elsewhere in Astor are submerged; and Bartram Road, Holiday Circle and Clair Street are inaccessible.

DeLand still rising

A separate Flood Warning for the St. Johns near DeLand, issued at 8:58 p.m. Wednesday, said minor flooding is occurring and is forecast through the weekend, with the river potentially nearing moderate flood stage early next week. The stage at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday was 4.0 feet — right at flood stage — and NWS forecast a climb to about 4.7 feet by Monday afternoon. Bankfull is 3.5 feet.

At 4.8 feet, NWS said water starts to enter low-lying buildings around Hontoon Island and floods many secondary roads and homes in low-lying areas.

NWS Melbourne's Thursday morning forecast discussion on X called for a drier day across east central Florida, with temperatures in the mid-80s and a moderate rip-current risk at the beaches — better news for flash flooding, but not a quick fix for a river that's still taking in upstream water.

Why the river is the story now

The St. Johns flows north. Heavy rain that hit Brevard and the Treasure Coast earlier this week is still draining into the basin. Gov. Ron DeSantis's Executive Order 26-228, signed Wednesday, expanded the state of emergency to 14 counties and specifically cited National Weather Service forecasts that "the St. Johns River will experience minor to moderate flooding which could last several weeks." The added counties include Lake, Seminole and Volusia — the stretch of river now under warning.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management's Fall Flooding page lists EO 26-227 (Nov. 2) and EO 26-228 (Nov. 4) and links county emergency-management pages. On Wednesday evening, @FLSERT reminded residents to photograph damage — high-water marks, rooms, vehicles — from a safe place before cleanup, and not to walk into standing floodwater.

ClickOrlando reported Wednesday that Volusia County opened sandbag sites as water rose near Lake Beresford in DeLand, and that county officials expected the biggest impacts later in the week. CF Public Radio quoted Volusia PIO Clayton Jackson saying it was still too early to say exactly how individual properties and roads would be affected as the river keeps rising.

Brevard and Treasure Coast: from rescue to recovery

In Brevard and St. Lucie counties, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Nov. 3 release said dozens of officers had deployed with airboats, swamp buggies, side-by-sides and drones. FWC said it sent 63 officers to Brevard (more than 56 rescues and 38 service calls on Nov. 3 alone) and 30 officers to St. Lucie, where officers evacuated more than 190 residents and handled more than 200 calls. @MyFWC said Wednesday that officers had conducted hundreds of rescues, welfare checks and evacuations during the week's rainfall.

Palm Bay has identified two people who died in the flooding; see our evening story on the emergency expansion.

What residents should do

NWS and FDEM both say: don't drive through flooded roads, don't walk into standing water, and document damage from dry ground. Check county emergency-management pages linked from FloridaDisaster.org/FallFlooding for sandbag sites, boil-water notices and road closures. Florida 511 and FHP have live road conditions.

The next NWS statements for Astor and DeLand were due Thursday morning. River levels can keep rising even after the rain stops.

Sources: NWS Melbourne Flood Warnings (Astor, DeLand) via api.weather.gov; NWS Melbourne on X; EO 26-228 PDF; FDEM Fall Flooding; FLSERT on X; FWC release; MyFWC on X; ClickOrlando; CF Public.

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