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‘Hope everything is going to be okay:’ Nearly 500 people could be impacted from Black Creek flooding in Clay County

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Neighbors living along Black Creek in Clay County are seeing some intense flooding and officials said upwards of 500 people could be impacted from the rising water.

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Scenic Dr. and Lazy Acres road were both shut down from the flooding, they run along Black Creek on both sides. Officials said they won’t open until the flooding goes away.

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Neighbors told Action News Jax they always prepare for the worst.

“You just pray it doesn’t go like Irma,” Collins Bradley said.

By early Tuesday afternoon, water was flowing into backyards of some homes, putting docks underwater, sending household items floating down the creek and shutting down two roads all from the flooding.

Bradley lives on Scenic Drive and has since Hurricane Irma.

“I feel that it’s not going to be as bad, maybe another couple feet up here, I’m praying it’s not going to go inside the lower level but if it does, it does,” he said.

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The current was moving quickly, and water could be seen rising on both sides of his home.

“It’s gone over the bulkhead and below the bulkhead I have about a 3-foot dock, it came over earlier today and creeping up slowly, probably creeped up 3-4 foot in the last hour,” he said.

He recently rebuilt and raised his driveway to get in and out during flooding, but it wasn’t looking good from Tuesday’s flooding.

“In December last year, I had my wife walk down in boots, like you got on, to show me where the driveway is at to get vehicles out,” he said.

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While he’s been through it before, it doesn’t get easier.

“You get used to it, cross your fingers and hope everything is going to be okay,” he said.

Officials said a local church is open for those impacted by the flooding, neighbors are encouraged to call1-877-CLAYEOC to get that information as needed.

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