Days after the last strong storm passed, rising waters continue to boost evacuation orders and flood warnings in central California – and even more rain is forecast for early next week .
In Porterville, residents of two areas along the swollen Tule River have been ordered to evacuate, and the stretch of river between them stretching about 5 miles is under an evacuation warning.
The overflow from nearby Success Lake upstream has already flooded dozens of homes in the area. Melting mountain snow is feeding freezing floodwaters, which were waist high Wednesday in some homes near a breach in the Tule River.
“Right now the dam is in good working order – there is no threat to the structure of the dam – but we have a lot of water flowing out of the spillway,” Carrie Monteiro, gatekeeper, said Wednesday. Word from the Tulare County Emergency Operations Center, about Schafer. Dam on Success Lake.
The city of Porterville declared a state of emergency as Army Corps of Engineers crews worked to shore up the dam, using a helicopter to drop sandbags.
On Friday morning, the National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the San Joaquin River west of Modesto near Vernalis.
“Turn around, do not drown when you encounter flooded roads,” read the warning. “Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”
Visalia is in a state of emergency until Monday due to the potential for flooding of Lake Kaweah at near capacity.
The lake is between Three Rivers and Woodlake, where significant flooding has occurred in the past. Some area residents wonder if new housing developments that have replaced orchards and a creek bed are to blame.
A new storm, which would be the 12th atmospheric river to hit the state this rainy season, is expected to bring precipitation to central and southern California from Sunday through Wednesday. A peak of precipitation and snow is expected on Tuesday.
In central California, residents can expect about a half inch of rain along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, said Jim Bagnall, a meteorologist with the Hanford Weather Service. The east side of the valley will see 1 to 2 inches, and the foothills will see 2 to 4 inches, he said.
This water, combined with snow falling on the already covered Sierra Nevada, could add to flooding problems.
In Southern California, residents should expect a “long period of steady light to moderate rain” totaling 1 to 3 inches, said Ryan Kittell, meteorologist with the Oxnard Weather Service.
By Wednesday, snow will accumulate at elevations of approximately 3,000 to 4,000 feet, including Tejon Pass.