The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order for residents living near Salinas River from Gonzales River Road north to Highway 69 at Spreckels Road as flooding continues to impact the area. An evacuation map can be found here.
People are encouraged to check in with their neighbors and monitor local law enforcement social media for updates.
Mar. 12, 6:15 a.m. Astonishing images and videos are showing the extent of the damage in Pajaro, a small community near Santa Cruz that underwent frightening early morning evacuations Saturday after a levee burst on the Pajaro River.
As the sun rose in Pajaro on Saturday morning, photographers captured the depth of the floodwaters. Cars and trucks are inundated up to their rooftops, homes are resting in a newly formed lake and debris is flowing downstream. Monterey County officials have warned people in Pajaro not to drink tap water; floodwaters that got into the region’s wells might be contaminated with chemicals, officials said.
Aerial footage posted by California’s Office of Emergency Services showed the breach in the Pajaro River levee early Saturday; overflowing river water can be seen pouring from it into the valley. Officials said the breach is about 100 feet wide.
National Weather Service forecaster Patrick Ayd told SFGATE that Santa Cruz County may see another quarter inch of rainfall today. “Flooding continues on the Pajaro River, largely due to a levee failure with fairly significant flooding, especially for the city of Pajaro,” Ayd said. “That flooding is going all the way out to tomorrow morning and will likely be extended again as more rain comes with the next system.”
The Pajaro Valley is known for growing strawberries, apples, cauliflower, broccoli and artichokes. National brands like Driscoll’s and Martinelli’s are headquartered in the region. Many of its residents are Latino farmworkers.
In 1995, the Pajaro River’s levees broke, submerging 2,500 acres of farmland and the community of Pajaro. Two people died, and the flooding caused nearly $100 million in damage. A state law, passed last year, advanced state funds for a levee project. It was scheduled to start construction in 2024.
State Sen. John Laird, who spearheaded the law and represents the area, said the project is fully funded now, but it just came down to bad timing with this year’s rains. “It’s tragic, we were so close to getting this done before any storms,” he said.
”READ FULL ARTICLE:https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/shocking-images-flooding-near-santa-cruz-levee-17834572.php
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