Anclote River flows through New Port Richey neighborhood | News

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla.- A boat ride up Elfers Parkway looks more like the middle of a river than the middle of a neighborhood. But take a look around at the street signs and submerged mail boxes and you'll quickly realize this is not normally a waterway.

A motorized boat is the only way to access the Anclote River Estates neighborhood. Not only is the water waist high or deeper, but a strong current makes it difficult to walk or swim in any direction but down stream.

"We figured it would flood but nothing like this," said one resident who has lived on the Anclote River for decades.

Water is feet deep, flowing through homes with some mailboxes and yard furniture washed away.

"That's a car! That car is completely under water," we shouted, passing over top of a red vehicle with only its roof partially exposed.

People living in this area had been trying to leave on foot, but now the water has gotten so high and the current so strong many are having to be evacuated.

Tim Lowe lives just a couple doors down from dry land and is trying to swim home. "It's kinda tough. You just have to throw some shorts on and kind of go for it... jump in and do what you gotta do," he said.

And forget about delivery. Wanda Clark says she had to make a floating pizza box tightly wrapped in plastic just to swim some food to her elderly parents.

"Gotta get them something to eat. My father wants pizza so I'm taking him pizza!"

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