FELTON, Calif.- People living in the Santa Cruz
Mountains are still wringing out
their clothes after heavy rain forced many to evacuate, just two days before Christmas. While we may be seeing a break in the rain
here and there, there's still more on the way this week. So we went to Felton to find out how residents
are coping and planning for a very wet new year.
Gushing, flooding and intimidating to some. The Santa Cruz Sheriff's Department said it
keeps a close eye on the San Lorenzo River
this time of the year. The department
will even call for evacuations like one this past Sunday, when about 50
residents were told move to higher ground.
On Sunday, the river hit 20.4 feet. But in 1982, it set a record at 28.8
feet.
"Well we've lived on the river for 12 or 13 years, so it's nothing new for
me. But it still sucks," said resident Kevin Seavers.
Seavers said even though he's used to dealing with all the
water, this is the first time in three years he's had to leave his house on Covered
Bridge Road.
"I mean it's definitely something we need. I wish it
would've spread itself out a little bit," Seavers said.
And to keep Mother Nature from stopping Christmas?
"Put everything up on the couch," Seavers said.
But a little further down the hill, where it doesn't flood
quite as often, some residents worry it could hit anytime.
"Keep a mental list of exactly what I'm going to grab
quickly and run if I have to and keep my eye on the USGS site to see how its
flowing through the river just up the street from me," said resident Kevin
Kaos.
You can hear the San Lorenzo
River really well on Kaos'
street. He said when it gets about a
foot up a nearby power pole, residents start to get a little worried.
"I've heard that it has flooded here in the past,"
Kaos said.
That's why Kaos keeps that game plan in the back of his
mind.
The Santa Cruz Sheriff's Department said it also keeps a close eye on Paradise
Park, when flash floods are in the
forecast.
