In Astor, an unincorporated community right on the border of Lake and Volusia counties, a street remained flooded with several inches of water, a few days after Hurricane Milton’s departure from the area.
Bill Barney, a neighborhood resident since 1992, drove carefully — and slowly — through the floodwaters on his way back from the gas station to grab a coffee. Driving even five miles an hour would send waves lapping up to the door of his neighbor’s garage.
Volusia County is warning communities like these, along the St. Johns River, to prepare as soon as possible for the river’s anticipated crest between October 22 and 25: either by leaving the area temporarily, or stocking up on several weeks of essential supplies.
But not everyone plans to leave the area, including Barney — and his neighbor, Rich Williams, who these days can often be heard shouting at passing cars, pleading with drivers to slow down.

“Even with the big ‘road closed’ sign out there, they just come flying through here, 5, 10, miles an hour. They need to idle through,” Williams said. “Any wake that they make, the water's going into people's homes.”
In recent days, the portion of the St. Johns River that is feeding the flooding in this neighborhood crept up past its previous record height of 4.7 feet, according to water gauge data made available by the National Oceanic Administration’s National Water Prediction Service.
The flooding isn’t expected to go down until after the river’s anticipated crest next week. In the meantime, Williams said residents here can’t flush their toilets. But he has no plans to leave, even as the river continues to rise.
“I'm staying. I have nothing else to do; there's nowhere else I can go,” Williams said, adding he also doesn’t want to abandon all his things, and take a chance on the house getting looted while he’s gone.
Barney also plans to stay right here in Astor, in the short and long-term.
“It is what it is. I mean, you gotta pay the price, right?” Barney said. “Nothing's free. The only thing that's free in this life is a hard time.”

Meanwhile, federal assistance is now available for people living in certain Florida counties hit by Hurricane Milton — including Volusia — following President Joe Biden’s Saturday announcement of a Major Disaster Declaration for the storm.
The Major Disaster Declaration opens the door for Individual Assistance dollars from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which residents of designated counties can apply for: including Lake, Volusia and several other counties in Central Florida. It’s a program focused on long-term recovery, according to James Wood, a media relations specialist with FEMA assigned to Lake and Volusia counties during Milton recovery.
“It unleashes, to say the least, the full power of the federal government to really help the state that has been impacted in terms of the resources, whether it be the funds, the manpower,” or other resources FEMA can provide, Wood said.
But not everyone who’s eligible to apply for FEMA’s help recovering from Milton is planning to do so. Barney is skeptical of the agency’s ability and willingness to assist, saying he plans to seek help cleaning up his flooded home elsewhere, through friends and family.
“They're not gonna do anything,” Barney said. “The government? No. It just ain't gonna happen … on their part, and not gonna happen on my part. I just don't want [anything] to do with it.”

He didn’t leave during the storm itself either, Barney said, but wasn’t exactly afraid. And while he knows there are still several weeks of hurricane season left, Barney’s not fearful now, either.
“Well, of course, you have stress. But it is what it is, you know?” Barney said. “You just deal with it … Water goes away.”
Like Barney, Williams stayed put during Hurricane Milton.
“That's one of the perils of living on the water, you know? I mean, especially on low ground,” Williams said. “We're in a flood zone here, and we know it, you know? I mean, we choose to live here. That's the thing.”
That said, this storm is different, Williams said.
“This is definitely the worst [flooding] it's ever been,” Williams said.

That’s why he said he’s so thankful whenever a driver hears — and follows — Williams’s pleas to slow down while driving through the floodwaters on their street.
“Whenever I see somebody idling down the street, I thank them and tell them how appreciative of that we are. It really means everything,” Williams said.
Unlike Barney, Williams said he’s glad FEMA has made help available and is planning to apply.
Regardless of how someone may feel about FEMA or the federal government in general, FEMA’s James Wood said when it comes to disasters, the most important thing is to follow direction from officials in your own community.
“I ask the public: if you are in a zone that is in danger, please listen to your local and state officials for further guidance,” Wood said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has help available for eligible applicants, but no Disaster Recovery Centers set up in Central Florida yet. Wood said FEMA plans to open up more DRCs soon. You can go here to search for one near you.
Those looking to apply for Individual Assistance recovering from Milton can do so until December 11, per FEMA.