The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has issued evacuation orders for hundreds of people in the north and south areas of the county after heavy rains fell overnight Wednesday and into Thursday morning.
Residents living near Holohan Road, Laken Drive and College Road in Watsonville are being evacuated, and deputies on Thursday were going door-to-door to notify them. A temporary evacuation point is open at Callaghan Park in Watsonville.
Several motorists had to be rescued along Larkin Valley Road when their cars were engulfed in flood waters, and a man had to be rescued when his car was halfway submerged in water on Paulsen Road.
Major flooding was rampant around Pajaro Village and Pajaro Vista—both of which are senior communities—as numerous streets and sidewalks disappeared beneath running flood water. Watsonville Public Works crews were busy shutting off several intersections, as storm drain covers could be seen being shoved aside by overflow.
In addition, flooding along the San Lorenzo River has prompted evacuation orders in Felton Grove, and a temporary evacuation point is being set up at Scotts Valley Community Center.
Residents in Watsonville reported seeing storm drain plates displaced by the water.
Find your evacuation zone at community.zonehaven.com.
The Santa Cruz County Emergency Operations Center is actively monitoring conditions throughout the county, including stream levels and road impacts.
Highway 1 is currently closed at Dimeo Lane while CHP – Santa Cruz investigates a fatal accident. Soquel-San Jose Road is being closed above Olive Springs due to a slide. Paulsen Road and San Andreas Road in South County are also being impacted. Main Street above Bates Creek is also closed due to a tree down with wires.
Other closures
• College Lake Road area
• Holohan Road and Grimmer Road
• Lakeview RoadTo see your zone, visit bit.ly/42VBd7w. Road closures can be monitored at sccroadclosure.org/
