More rain and two new levee breaks along Pacheco Creek compounded the already devastating impact of flooding in the Lovers Lane and San Felipe Road areas of San Benito County on Tuesday, with Kevin O’Neill of the Office of Emergency Services calling the most recent flooding “arguably worse than the first in terms of amount of water.”
At around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, O’Neill told BenitoLink that “a lot of the flood waters have receded, but a lot of water remains. There are at least two new levee breaks, but we don’t know the extend of the damage.”
He said there was “no immediate threat to life” and emergency officials need to wait to assess damage to roads and structures. “Unfortunately, yes, there’s not much that can be done but wait, especially with more rain on the way” Thursday.
The National Weather Service on Tuesday morning issued a flash flood warning for northern San Benito County — encompassing the flood-prone areas near Lovers Lane and San Felipe Road north of Hollister. The warning, which meant that flooding is imminent or occurring, was initially effect until 6 p.m., but was extended until 11 p.m. Rising creek waters also prompted voluntary the county to issue evacuation orders as Pacheco Creek neared the 16 foot mark and was rising. The creek’s moderate flood stage is 12 feet.
According to a weather advisory from the NWS, stream gage information from Pacheco Creek near Dunneville showed “rapidly rising water levels that are approaching flood stage.”Â
The locations expected to experience flooding include: Soap/San Felipe Lake, Frazier Lake, northern Hollister, and Lovers Lane. Local law enforcement officials issued a warning saying, “if you are not in the area, please avoid Lovers Lane and San Felipe Road in the area around Pacheco Creek.”
Tuesday evening, the OES posted on its Facebook page a warning that “We saw people driving across flood waters a lot despite road closed signs. When you drive across flood waters, you are risking your life. Please think twice and use alternate routes.”