"Please get out now ... the water is not going down," Hillsborough County sheriff pleads

 While surveying flooding in several feet of water Friday morning, a full mile away from the Alafia River in Florida’s Hillsborough County, Sheriff Chad Chronister urged residents to leave, as flood levels in the area are expected to keep increasing as the day goes on.

“Please get out now,” Chronister said. “The water is not going down; the water is only going to increase. So, if you’re on the fence on whether you should leave or not leave — please, let’s keep everyone safe — let’s leave now!”

The sheriff told CNN’s Isabel Rosales he expects emergency calls to become more widespread as the peak crest for the Alafia River is expected to reach 25.5 feet on Friday night. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office flew helicopters over the impacted area Friday morning, assessing how widespread damages are and trying to predict where the water will crest, Chronister said.

“It’s hard for me not to imagine the heartbreak that comes along with next steps,” the sheriff, becoming emotional, told Rosales regarding county residents losing their homes to the flooding. “Where do those people go that don’t have family, they don’t have friends, they don’t have the money to get a hotel? What happens to them?”