Bartow could see major flooding along Peace River, expected to come near historic high, NWS says

The Peace River could come within a foot of its historic high water mark by the weekend, according to a new forecast from the National Weather Service .

The NWS has revised its forecast for the Peace River at State Road 60 in Bartow since Tuesday. It now predicts major flooding in Bartow by Sunday.

By 2 p.m. Wednesday, the NWS said the Peace River at SR 60 in Bartow water level is expected to reach 7 feet, still below minor flood levels.

After Hurricane Milton has dumped at least a foot of rain in some areas of Central Florida, the NWS forecast tells a different story.

On Thursday, the Peace River is expected reach action stage and then on Friday it will rise to moderate flooding levels, according NWS forecasts. By Sunday at 2 a.m. the river will reach 10.1 feet, which is considered a major flood level.

By comparison, the historic record high watermark in Bartow was 11.1 feet.

Live Wednesday updates: Parts of Polk County will see 110 mph winds. Peace River expected to flood

The Peace River takes water from as far away as Winter Haven, via the Peace Creek, and from parts of Lakeland, via Saddle Creek and Lake Hancock, and flows south, eventually reaching Charlotte Harbor.

Communities south of Bartow where the NWS has monitoring stations — Zolfo Springs and Arcadia — can also expect moderate to major flooding, though they're not expected come near their historic highs.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Bartow could see major flooding along Peace River, expected to come near historic high, NWS says