Pajaro residents dismayed after levee break leave large areas of town underwater
PAJARO -- An agricultural community in Monterey County was flooded Saturday after a levee ruptured on the Pajaro River. Drone footage showed the extent of the flooding in the community of Pajaro, near the city of Watsonville.
Monterey County evacuation zone map
Streets, cars, homes, businesses and schools were submerged. The levee was breached about three miles east of Pajaro.
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Monterey County first responders started evacuating people late Friday night. Firefighters also announced the evacuation order in Spanish since many of the roughly 1,700 residents are Spanish-speaking farm workers. Bilingual workers went door-to-door to get people out.
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"(My younger brother) started to cry a little bit. My other little siblings started to cry, too. They didn't know what was going on," said 18-year-old evacuee Christian Garcia.
Garcia and his family were sleeping when the fire trucks woke them up.
"It didn't feel real, the sirens. Everything was in a rush," Garcia said.
Garcia's family and his uncle's family live in one house. They packed up quickly and left.
"At least my family is safe now. We're safe and my neighbors," said Isaac Martinez, who is Garcia's uncle.
Monterey County officials said the Pajaro River levee broke around midnight.
They said that, as of Saturday morning, the breach was around 100 feet wide but, by early evening, that breach had widened to 120 feet, authorities said.
Some residents could not get out in time.
California National Guard soldiers rescued dozens of people trapped in cars and homes.
"It was shocking 'cause I've never seen that," Martinez said.
Garcia and Martinez went back to check on their cat and their home Saturday morning. They recorded cellphone video showing their home and street, Brooklyn Street, under water. They salvaged a few items from the home and food from their fridge.
"Everything is destroyed, plants, the floor, everything is destroyed," Garcia said.
Garcia's former school, Pajaro Middle School, was also submerged.
"The community is just sad right now watching everything just go like that," Garcia said.
Garcia and Martinez's families are staying at a local shelter. They said that, given the extend of the damage, it could take months to rebuild.
"Tuesday, we're expecting a lot of rain and it's going to get worse," Martinez said.