With thanks and apologies to spotted photographer and blogger jimmaxie, I drove by Whitey's a little while ago to get a better idea of what is happening there.
I ran into Earl Owns, a Mayport shrimp boat captain and Clay County resident, who brought his boat to Whitey's Marina to ride out what looked like at one time might be a hurricane. Earl was there around 11 a.m. today along with a member of his crew, Ronnie Hildum, the father of Clay County's fire chief of the same name.
Earl and Ronnie were keeping an eye on the Ruby E, adjusting the ropes as needed when the water level rose and fell. The water was about 5 feet above what it normally is, Earl said, and he said it would get even higher at high tide expected around 5 p.m.
Ronnie said Earl used to keep his boat at Whitey's back when they could shrimp in the river. The biggest problem they were having this morning is that Whitey's was closed and they didn't have any beer.
While I was there, a couple of teenage boys were having fun wading through the water that was rising into the outdoor eating areas at Whiteys. They were jumping off pilings into the lake. All in all it made for a pretty site and spectators kept driving by to have a look at what was going on.
Clay County has been fairly lucky so far. We have not had the power outages and wind damage other areas have had - so far. Of course, when Black Creek crests at 18 or 19 feet, things may change.
With schools out and a lot of business closed, most people are staying off the streets and that is good. Stay safe everyone.
See more flooding photos on we spotted!
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