Peace River begins crests in DeSoto County as waters inundate campground road

ARCADIA, Fla. - Surging waters from the cresting Peace River came into areas along the river across DeSoto County Thursday.

DeSoto County floodwaters rise

What we know:

Streets and access corridors along the riverbank have transformed into direct extensions of the Peace River. The road leading into the Arcadia Peace River Campground sits underwater. 

At DeSoto Veterans Memorial Park, water has reached its highest mark of the week. What began days ago as a small puddle has expanded into a swift river overflow running across park grounds. High trucks were still able to get through the Park as the Peace River's crest neared. 

Peace River neighborhood impact

Local perspective:

Along the flooded riverfront, residents are using kayaks to travel to and from their properties. Water depths have reached higher than 10 feet in some areas along the riverbank.

Several homeowners raised their structures following Hurricane Ian, which kept the main living quarters dry. While flood damage remains far below the roof-level destruction seen during Hurricane Ian, neighbors must still navigate submerged driveways.

Wildlife park animal evacuation

What they're saying:

Staff at Jungle Doria's Wildlife Park relocated their animals to keep them safely above the surging river basin. Large livestock, including cattle, goats and emus, were transferred to an inland ranch property, while reptiles were moved to the second story of the park gift shop.

"It’s hard to see, but at the same time, we are very resilient people. I know we will bounce back," said Jungle Doria's Wildlife Park founder Krystalynn Doria. "Everyone has been very helpful in the community, letting us know as soon as the water recedes they will be there to help us. We will have a big volunteer day planned soon."

Co-founder Clay Doria explained that animals are currently divided across three safe locations. "We have most of the small mammals and birds with us," he said. "We have the cattle, goats and emus on our ranch property which is further away from the river. All of the reptiles are stored away in the second story of the gift shop at Jungle Doria's."

Riverfront resident Daphney Murch said the sudden surge caught many off guard after recent drought conditions left sandbars exposed just months earlier.

"It was definitely kind of hard to imagine until you saw it with your own eyes," Murch said. "I wasn’t even home. My mom was sending me videos and my mom was like a foot of water and I was like, oh my gosh, and now it’s like 17 foot in some places and probably 20 over there. It’s just so crazy because it came up so fast."

Murch has used her TikTok account @dammurch77 to show what's been happening to their home along the Peace River. 

"It’s a beautiful disaster like my husband said," Murch added. "It’s just mother nature, god all of it is crazy. The river just takes what it wants."

Murch recalled how dry conditions were in June before the flooding started. "In June I was in the middle of the river sitting on the ground on a sandbar in the middle of the river looking for sharks teeth, and now it is all the way up here," she said.

Now she and her daughter, London, use kayaks and Jon boats to get to the dry section of their driveway. 

"It was definitely kind of hard to imagine until you saw it with your own eyes. I wasn’t even home. My mom was sending me videos and my mom was like a foot of water, and I was like, oh my gosh, and now it’s like 17 foot in some places and probably 20 over there. It’s just so crazy because it came up so fast," said London. 

Receding waters and recovery

What's next:

Residents expect river levels to begin subsiding Friday, though standing water will linger for several days across low-lying roads.

Jungle Doria's Wildlife Park plans to organize a volunteer cleanup day and hopes to reopen to visitors within a few days to a week once waters recede.

DeSoto County