MMORR’ --DELTA.5# POINT6(FURS. WHISKEY AND WE’LL BEGIN WITH ACTION NEWS 8 REPORTER CHRISTIAN BALDERAS LIVE IN FELTON. WITH A CLOSER LOOK AT THE IMPACTS IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. >> RIGHT NOW IT’S A LOT OF CLEAN UP AND FORTUNATELY THINGS HAVE CALMED DOWN. FLOODING AND LANDSLIDES PUMPING MULTIPLE EVACUATION ORDERS. FLOODING AND SERIOUS DAMAGE ALL OVER SALINAS COUNTY FRIDAY. >> SPEED, AT WHICH THE RIVERS ROSE. IN FELTON GROVE, COUNTY CREWS HOPPED ON JET SKIS AND WATER CRAFTS TO SAVE THOSE STRANDED AND IN PARADISE PARK, THE NATIONAL GUARD PATROLLED THE AREA AFTER FLOODING FROM THE SAN LORENZO RIVER. ONE MAN RUSHING HOME FROM WORK IN PALO ALTO TO CHECK ON HIS FAMILY. >> I WAS EXPECTING NOT THIS, I WAS EXPECTING TO BE ABLE TO WADE THROUGH IT WASTE DEEP, BUT IT IS LOOKING A LITTLE DEEPER THAN THAT. >> BUT NOT EVERYONE CHOSE TO EVACUATE, AFTER WEATHERING STORMS ONLY DAYS BEFORE. >> WE DECIDED TO SHELTER-IN-PLACE BECAUSE I THOUGHT, IT WILL BE OK, WE DIDN’T LOSE ANYTHING LAST TIME, WE WILL PROBABLY BE OK. SO, WE ARE OK, WE ARE LIVE. BUT THERE IS WAY MORE DAMAGE, WAY MORE DAMAGE. >> THE COUNTY, WARNING PEOPLE TO TAKE EVACUATION ORDERS SERIOUSLY. >> WE ARE NOT DOING EVACUATION ORDER UNLESS THERE IS IMMEDIATE DANGER TO YOU AND YOUR SAFETY. >> AND IT IS EASY TO SEE WHY. THE VIA DEL BRIDGE COLLAPSED INITIALLY STRANDING SOME 60 , HOMES. THIS ONLY ADDING TO WIDESPREAD DAMAGES, THE COUNTY ESTIMATES, IS AT LEAST $27 MILLION. I COUNTY SPOKESPERSON SAYS THAT COUNTY SUPERVISORS ARE ANTICIPATING TO RATIFY A DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY. AND PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS ALREADY APPROVED A FEDERAL DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY. THAT GIVES MORE RESOURCES AND ALLOWS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO HELP COORDINATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE. LIVE IN FELTON, I’M CHRISTIAN BALDERAS, KSBW ACTIONN NEWS 8. >> THANK YOU. 2 EVACUATION CENTERS ARE OPEN IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. THE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS IN WATSONVILLE. AND CABRILLO COLLEGE IN APTOS. IF YOU HAVE PETS, CABRILLO IS ONLY ALLOWING SMALL PETS. WHILE THE FAIRGOROUNDS IS ALLOWING LARGER ONES. STORM DAMAGE HAS RESULTED IN SEVERAL HIGHWAY CLOSURES. INCLUDING IN THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS. ALL SOUTHBOUND LANES OF HIGHWAY 17 WERE SHUTDOWN THIS MORNING AFTER A LANDSLIDE. NO WORD YET ON WHEN IT’LL REOPEN. CALTRANS TELLS US THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE THE ROAD REOPENED BY EIGHT :00 TONIGHT. HIGHWAY 9 IS CLOSED NEAR HOLIDAY LANE JUST SOUTH OF BEN LOMOND. AFTER A LANDSLIDE COVERED THE ROAD IN TREES, DIRT, AND DEBRIS. DRIVERS CAN TAKE GLEN ARBOR ROAD AS A DETOUR AROUND IT. THERE’S NO ESTIMATED TIME FOR REOPENING. THE NORTHERN CLOSURE OF HIGHWAY 1 ALONG THE BIG SUR COAST HAS BEEN MOVED TO PALO COLORADO ROAD. WHICH MEANS BIG SUR IS ESSENTIALLY CUT OFF. THE CLOSURE EXTENDS SOUTH TO RAGGED POINT IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY. BOTH DIRECTIONS OF HIGHWAY 101 NEAR GILROY WERE SHUTDOWN AFTER FLOODING. THE SOUTHBOUND SIDE OF THE ROAD WAS COVERED IN WATER. AND SOME STARTED REACHING THE NORTHBOUND SIDE AS WELL. THE ROAD IS STILL SHUTDOWN AND THERE’S NO ESTIMATED TIME OF REOPENING. THAT WATER CAUSED SEVERAL HOUSES IN THE GILROY AREA TO FLOOD. THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE. THE ENTIRE FIRST STORY OF THIS HOUSE IS UNDERWATER. AND SEVERAL CARS ARE SUBMERGED. MORE FLOODING IN SOUTH MONTEREY COUNTY, ALONG THE ARROYO SECO RIVER. IT WAS RAGING. THIS WAS TAKEN NORTH OF SYCAMORE FLATS. AN EVACUATION ORDER IS IN EFFECT FOR LOW-LYING AREAS AROUND THE RIVER. AND THERE WAS SOME HIGH DRAMA NEAR THE RIVER TODAY. THE COAST GUARD HAD TO RESCUE A COUPLE AFTER THEY BECAME TRAPPED IN THE FLOODWATERS. THEY WERE BOTH AIRLIFTED TO SAFETY. ACTION NEWS 8 REPORTER FELIX SPOKE WITH THE HUSBAND WHO WAS RESCUED, HE’S LIVE IN GREENFIELD WITH MORE. >> THAT COUPLE HAD TO BE AIRLIFTED TO SAFETY AFTER THEIR HOME BECAME AN ISLAND IN THE FLOOD AT THE ARROYO SECO RIVER. I HELICOPTER RIDE WAS THE ONLY WAY OUT. -- A HELICOPTER RIDE WAS REALLY WAY OUT. DAVID PEPPLE GOT HIS FIRST HELICOPTER RIDE MONDAY MORNING AND WHAT A RIDE IT WAS, HERE HE IS TOSSING AND TURNING IN A BASKET AS HE’S BEING LIFTED INTO A COAST GUARD HELICOPTER, DAVID AND HIS WIFE JEANNIE ALONG WITH THEIR DOG HAD TO BE RESCUED AFTER THEIR ARROYO SECO HOME WAS SURROUNDED BY FLOOD WATERS. >> WHEN I WATCHED MY WIFE SHE SPUN AROUND A LITTLE BIT WHEN SHE GOT TO THE TOP BUT WHEN I GOT TO THE TOP WE REALLY SPUN TO WHERE I CLOSED MY EYES THE LAST TEN SECONDS PROBABLY. >> HIS FRIEND GREG FRASER WATCHING FROM THE ROADSIDE AS HIS NEIGHBORS ARE LIFTED TO SAFETY, MY HEART’S POUNDING IM REALLY CONCERNED FOR DAVID. >> I’M JUST GLAD TO SEE HIS HOUSE IS INTACT. >> THE PEPPLE’S HAD TO BE RESCUED WHEN THEIR HOME BECAME AN ISLAND IN THE FLOODED ARROYO SECO RIVER, JUST AS THE COUPLE WERE PREPARING TO HEED EVACUATION WARNINGS A FOOT BRIDGE WAS WIPED OUT BY A HUGE TREE TRUNK, WHEN I WOKE UP IN -- THE MORNING THE WATER WAS WHEN I WOKE UP IN THE MORNING THE WATER WAS PROBABLY FOUR FEET LOWER THAN WHEN THIS ALL HAPPENED. AND I TOLD MY WIFE WE BETTER GET READY AND WE STARTED PACKING AND GETTING READY AND WE WERE LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AND WE SAW THE BRIDGE GO AND WHEN THAT BRIDGE WENT THERE’S NO WAY OUT. >> EMERGENCY CREWS INCLUDING SEARCH AND RESCUE RESPONDED AND DETERMINED A HELICOPTER RESCUE WAS THE BEST OPTION, ENTERING THE RIVER WAS JUST TOO DANGEROUS, LOOKING AT THE WATER FLOWAGE, THE DEBRIS IN THE WATER THE AMOUNT OF TREES THAT WERE IN THERE AND THE DANGER TO THEM THAT WAS GOING TO BE A SECOND OR EVEN THIRD PLAN. THE BEST SITUATION WAS TO TRY AND GET A HELICOPTER. THE HEAVY RAINS ON AN ALREADY SATURATED GROUND LEADING TO ROCK SLIDES IN ARROYO SECO ROAD, A FAST-MOVING SALINAS RIVER, AND THE ARROYO SECO RIVER FLOWING AT LEVELS THE NEIGHBORS HAVEN’T SEEN IN OVER 30 YEARS. AT ITS PEAK THE RIVER FLOW WAS SHY OF BREAKING RECORDS. >> I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT, I HOPE I NEVER SEE IT AGAIN. I HOPE NOT. >> WITH A LOT MORE RAIN ON THE WAY, RIVERS CONTINUE TO FLOW AT FLOOD LEVELS, THAT IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THOSE WARNINGS, AND HEAT ANY EVACUATIONS ORDERS OR WARNINGS AND MAYBE -- BE PREPARED TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. BACK TO YOU IN THE STUDIO. >> HOTELS IN MONTEREY COUNTY ARE HELPING OUT EVACUEES. RESIDENTS UNDER CURRENT, OR FUTURE EVACUATION ORDERS CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DISCOUNTED RATES ON HOTEL ROOMS. IT’S BEING OFFERED BY SEVERAL HOTELS IN CARMEL, MONTEREY, AND PACIFIC GROVE. SOME PLACES ARE ALSO WAIVING PET POLICIES. PEOPLE CAN BRING THEIR PETS WITH THEM. WE HAVE A FULL LIST ON OUR WEBSITE AT KSBW.COM. SAN BENITO COUNTY IS ALSO SEEING FLOODING LEADING TO SOME EVACUATIONS. HERE’S DRONE VIDEO OF LOVER’S LANE. AND YOU CAN SEE HOW WIDESPREAD THE FLOODING IS. ACTION NEWS 8 REPORTER LESLIE DUARTE IS LIVE IN HOLLISTER. WITH MORE DETAILS. >> AARON, WE ARE A LOVER’S NOW. TAKE A LOOK BEHIND ME, YOU COULD SEE THE FLOODWATERS ARE STILL ON THE STREET, OFFICIALS SAY IT IS >> DANGEROUS AND THERE IS SEVERAL FEET OF WATER THERE, AND THEY REMIND PEOPLE TO STAY SAFE FIRST, WE WERE HERE EARLIER WHEN FIRST RESPONDERS WERE EVACUATING PEOPLE WITH A HIGH WATER VEHICLE. WATER COVERED THE NEIGHBORHOOD AROUND LOVER’S LANE, THE WATER CAME FROM THE NEARBY PACHECO CREEK. THE FIRE MARSHAL SAYS THE CREEK IS RECEDING, THE EVACUATION ORDER REMAINS IN PLACE, HOWEVER. SAN BENITO COUNTY SAYS THEY EVACUATED 24 PEOPLE OR ANIMALS. 25 PEOPLE REFUSED TO EVACUATE. >> WE ARE ATTENTIVE TO GET PEOPLE THAT ARE CAUGHT OFF GUARD FROM BOTH SIDES OF LOVER’S LANE, WE HAVE PEOPLE ON THE BRIDGE WHO WERE ATTEMPTING TO GET AWAY, THEY ARE SAFE RIGHT NOW, WE ARE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE ON THE OTHER SAY -- SIDE AS WELL. >> THERE WERE ABOUT 30 HOMES TO EVACUATE, THE FIRST RESPONDERS HAVE SINCE WRAPPED UP THE RESCUE BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO ASSESS THE SITUATION -- THEY WILL ASSESS THE SITUATION AND RESCUE PEOPLE AS NEEDED. EVACUATION ORDERS REMAIN IN EFFECT AND THE COUNTY ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO STAY INFORMED AND STAY CONNECTED VIA THE SOCIAL MEDIA APPS. IN SAN BENITO COUNTY, KSBW ACTION NEWS 8. >> SAN BENITO COUNTY RESIDENTS CAN GET URGENT ALERTS ON THE STORM BY SIGNING UP FOR THE COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM CODE RED. IT’S USED TO SEND IMPORTANT MESSAGES ABOUT EVACUATIONS FLOODS AND MORE. IT’S ALSO AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. IT IS A GREAT WAY TO STAY CONNECTED AND TO STAY CONNECTED AND GET THAT UPDATED INFORMATION AS SOON AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE. MONTEREY COUNTY ALSO HAS AN EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM, CALLED ALERT MONTEREY COUNTY. YOU CAN SIGN UP ON THE COUNTY’S WEBSITE. AFTER ALL THAT RAIN EARLIER WE’VE SEEN SOME CALMER , CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THIS EVENING. HERE’S A LIVE LOOK FROM MONTEREY AND SALINAS. IT WON’T LAST LONG. AS MORE RAIN IS ON THE WAY. CHIEF METEOROLOGIST LEE SOLOMON JOINS US NOW, HE HAS BEEN WATCHING ALL OF THESE SYSTEMS FOR WHAT FEELS LIKE A LONG TIME NOW, KIND OF ON THE TAIL END AS WE CAN GET TO THE NEXT 48 HOURS, OR SO. >> EARLIER WE WERE SAYING WE GOT TO THAT POINT OF SATURATED SOILS , MANY AREAS ARE STILL FLOODED AND IT IS NOT GOING DOWN BECAUSE THE GET -- GROUND CANNOT SOAK IT UP. IT’S REALLY A DANGEROUS NIGHT TO BE OUT BECAUSE OF ALL THE CLOSURES FOR POTENTIAL SLIDES THAT COULD HAPPEN NOW AT ANY POINT, BEING ON THE ROAD TONIGHT, BEING IN THE DARK, POWER LINES WILL COME DOWN. THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL WIND HEADED OUR WAY, THERE IS A COMPACT SYSTEM THAT WILL COME BY HERE TONIGHT, MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN STARTS AGAIN TONIGHT WITH GUSTY WINDS. WE ARE NOT EXPECTING A REPEAT OF LAST NIGHT IN TERMS OF THE INTENSITY AND DURATION. I AM NOT EXPECTING RIVERS LIKE THE SAN LORENZO TO GO OVER THE BANKS AGAIN. IT WILL GET CLOSE. FOR TUESDAY, THAT STORM WILL EXIT, WINDS WILL DIMINISH, AND ON WEDNESDAY THERE IS A LITTLE DISTURBANCE AND SOLD FROM LIGHT RAIN, AND BY THAT TIME AGAIN WE WILL BE GETTING TOWARDS THE TAIL END OF ALL THIS. WHEN ADVISORY GOES BACK UP AT 10 P.M. TONIGHT. THAT INCLUDES OUR ENTIRE AREA. THE WIND GOES AT 25 TO 35 OUT OF THE SOUTH, GUSTS BETWEEN 50 AND 60. AND WE DID HAVE MANY AREAS THAT REACH THAT 50, 65 MILE PER HOUR MARK. I DO NOT EXPECT THAT MUCH WIND TONIGHT, BUT WITH ALL OF THAT RAIN THAT HAS COME DOWN IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, POWER LINES WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN ISSUE. I EXPECT POWER OUTAGES TONIGHT. JUST BECAUSE YOUR POWER NOW DOESN’T MEAN YOU WILL HAVE IT LATER. WE HAVE A FLOOD WATCH FOR THE ENTIRE AREA, AND LOOK AT THE GRAPH, ONE OF THE AREAS IS AROUND THE PAJARO RIVER, AND DOWN IN THAT AREA, THIS BLUE LINE HERE IS WHERE WE HAVE BEEN AND WHERE WE ARE HEADED, AND THE RIVER IS COMING UP, THE MAINSTEM RIVERS LIKE BIG SUR TAKE LONGER TO COME UP. THIS RIVER IS STILL COMING UP, AND THIS IS THE FORECAST CENTER HERE THAT IT WILL PROBABLY ENTER REALLY CLOSE TO MINOR OR MODERATE FLOOD STAGE EARLY TONIGHT IN THROUGH TOMORROW. WE’RE WATCHING THAT, AND AREAS ABOVE COLORADO AS WE HEAD TO THE SAN LORENZO, WE ARE HEADING UP TO FOUR AND A HALF FEET. WE WILL CONTINUE TO COME DOWN, AND GET A LITTLE MORE RAIN AND STAY BASICALLY RIGHT BELOW OR ABOVE MINOR FLOOD STAGE. SAME THING WITH ARROYO SECO, AND SOLEDAD. IT IS QUICKLY MOVING DOWN BELOW FLOOD STAGE, WE GET A LITTLE BIT OF A BUMP HERE THROUGH MIDDAY TOMORROW. BUT NOT EXPECTING TO GO ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. THE BIG SUR RIVER IS GOING TO TAKE A WHILE TO COME DOWN. IT HAS COME STEEPLY WITH ALL THAT RAIN. IT IS COMING DOWN, BUT WITH THAT CONTINUE RAIN TONIGHT, -- CONTINUED RAIN TONIGHT IT WILL MODERATE. WE ARE STILL WATCHING IT FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER. AND KIND OF THE SAME PROGRAM HERE, CARMEL RIVER CAME UP FAST, I GOT TO WHERE WE WERE, MAJOR FLOOD STAGE, AND NOW ON THE WAY DOWN, BUT STILL HERE IN MINOR FLOOD STAGE, AND AS IT COMES DOWN WITH THE ADDED RAIN WE MAY STAY AT MINOR FLOOD STAGE THROUGH THE DAY TOMORROW MAYBE INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. THERE ARE STILL SOME CONCERNS OUT THERE WITH MORE RAIN AND WIND COMING. BE CAUTIOUS OUT THERE TONIGHT, THE END OF THE WEEK HAS A MUCH BETTER FORECAST. WE WILL BE COMPLETELY DRY WITH THAT HEAVY STEADY RAIN GONE, AND LIGHTER AIR AND NO WIND ISSUES. THERE IS SOME HOPE OUT THERE FOR CLEANUP AND TO GET THINGS KIND OF FIX. WE’VE GOT ANOTHER 12-24 HOURS THAT WILL KEEP THINGS AT A VERY LOW AND SLOW PACE. BY TOMORROW NIGHT WE WILL SEE MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS. >> IT SOUNDS LIKE THE POWDER RIVER IS ONE OF THOSE PLACES WHERE WE NEED TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON. THANK YOU, LEIGH. SALIDA SCHOOL DISTRICT CANCEL CLASSES TODAY. ALL THE SCHOOLS IN THE MONTEREY PENINSULA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT WERE CLOSED TODAY. THE DISTRICT SAYS THEY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS SITUATION AND LET FAMILIES KNOW ABOUT THE STATUS OF SCHOOL TOMORROW. ALSO THE BONNY DOON UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE PACIFIC GROVE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ALL SHUTTING DOWN FOR THE DAY. ALL SCHOOLS IN THE PAJARO VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE ALSO CLOSED FOR TODAY. THEY WILL REMAIN CLOSED TOMORROW AS WELL. COMING UP, MORK STORM COVERAGE AND UPDATES ON EVACUATIONS, OUTAGES, AND MORE HE