Predictions Of Rising Waters Force Evacuations In Walnut Grove
WALNUT GROVE (CBS13) – New Hope Landing and RV Park sits on the south fork of the Mokelumne River. Residents that live here spent Thursday night packing up, hoping to get out before the flooding starts this weekend.
"We will be vacating the premises," said Jim Timberlake, on-site manager at New Hope Landing. "I want everybody that I'm pulling out, I want to have them on the levy here by tomorrow evening."
Timberlake warned residents on Thursday that the water will flood four feet above flood stage of 13 feet. So the rush to evacuate the park is on.
"Just getting my folks out safe!" he told CBS13.
Timberlake hand-delivered a warning message to the 50 residents in the park, informing them that the water will be high starting Sunday evening. The area flooded in 2005 and 1997 and he doesn't want to see anyone get caught when the water starts to rise.
James Sproul and his wife Linda moved to New Hope two months ago and are a bit surprised they have to scramble to pack up in a hurry.
"People were saying 'don't worry, it hasn't happened in a long time, I don't think it's going to be a problem,' and here we are two months later and it is a problem," Sproul said.
The two plan to stay in motel in Stockton and expect to be there for the next two weeks.
"We could stay here on the levee, some people are going to but dry camping for two weeks is kind of tough," he told CBS 13. "The tanks fill up, the batteries run dry and it gets a little difficult."
On Friday, Timberlake will help move 14 trailers up to the levy where he hopes they won't be affected by the flooding.
"It's going flood so it is what it is, there's nothing we can do about that," Timberlake said. "Just be prepared and do the best we can."