The Choctawhatchee River crested Wednesday night, but flood waters remain high in Newton.

Some residents have lost their homes, many roads have been washed out and officials say the recovery effort is going to take both time and money.

The water levels are very high in some areas of Newton.

The Motorcross track is still completely submerged in water and at Beaver's Pond Trailer Park, where water was up to the windows in the homes, the water has only gone down about a foot a half.

Newton resident Larry Holland said, "Water got to rising quick. As the creek came up, the river came up. Then the creek started coming down."

Many Dale County residents are still waiting for flood waters to recede.

The Choctawhatchee River is at least 25 feet above normal for this time of year. Officials say it will be several days before all the damage is visible.

Dale County EMA Director Robert Marsh said, “It's hard to see what kind of damage we have until the water goes down. [We need to] make sure the roadways aren't undermined and hard to drive over."

At Beaver's Pond Trailer Park Wednesday, the water receded about a foot and half, but the damage is already done.

Holland said, “We've gotten used to it. It's something you have to live with. A lot of people say, ‘why don’t you move to higher ground’. Why? You just build higher."

Some residents may still be recuperating from the flooding, but there is a silver lining, fishing is good!

Holland said, “You'll find fish in all these holes because so many fish ponds are around here. When it floods, they just come out."

Now, roads that were submerged in water Tuesday are the perfect spot to go fishing.

A lot of residents have lost big bucks because their stocked fish ponds overflowed and many of the fish escaped.

Local emergency management agencies have already begun assessing damage from the flood.

Wednesday, they were taking pictures of the damage and are asking residents who have homes that were affected by flooding to call in and report it.

If your home was damaged from the flooding and you live in Dale County, contact the EMA office at 774-2214.