Millions face atmospheric river flood threat; Evacuations warnings issued in Santa Cruz County

SAN FRANCISCO -- A potent weather front containing an atmospheric river engorged with warm tropical moisture triggered flood fears across Northern California and the state Thursday.

More than 17 million people are under flood watches in California and slices of Nevada. Much of California is under a significant risk of excessive rainfall that could inundate places already devastated by severe flooding earlier this year.  

Among the areas of concern, forecasters said, were rivers, creeks and waterways in the South Bay and the Russian River near Hopland.  

On Thursday at noon, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office issued an evacuation warning for residents in low-lying areas including parts of Watsonville, Soquel, Paradise Park and the area around Aptos Creek that could see flooding. 

The evacuation warning applies to the the following zones in the unincorporated areas: 

FEL-E008, FEL-E012, CRZ-E081 CTL-E014-B, E015-B, E018-A, E019-B CTL-E051-B, CTL-E050-B PAJ-E015-B, E024-B, E027-B, E026, E028

Residents may look up their evacuation zones at community.zonehaven.com.

A steady rain was falling throughout the day in Felton Grove Thursday. The part of town along the San Lorenzo River is under an evacuation warning. Residents here have been through this before and were doing what they could to prepare.

They know how quickly things can change.

Felton Grove resident Perry Dibenidetto was tarping and boarding vulnerable parts of his home, placing sandbags to guard against the waters that were likely to rise. 

"You see this water line. That was the major flood. That's how high it got," said Dibenidetto. "We have everything raised. We trying to keep everything off the ground as much as we can," 

It was only weeks ago when neighbors were dealing with mounds of mud everywhere.

The river behind Dibenidetto's home overflowed its banks in January, right to their doorstep and into the house. It was yellow tagged for electrical damage.

"We've had numerous flood events, but nothing like what we saw last time," said Dibenidetto.

"It was this wide; twenty feet high of mud from here to way up here," said Felton Grove resident Michael Herzog. 

Sheriff officials have asked residents to prepare to evacuate, but Dibenidetto is staying put for now. 

"We just feel like we want to be here when the flood happens to see if we can mitigate and minimize any damage we might have," he said.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office also issued evacuation warnings Thursday for communities in the areas of Carmel River, the Carmel River Lagoon, and Pajaro due to the stormy weather hitting the region.

Residents in evacuation warning zones should be prepared to leave and gather essential items if an evacuation order is issued. Those who feel unsafe, have large animals, or need extra time to evacuate should leave as soon as possible.

People can call 211 for more information about the storm and its impacts and should call 911 for emergencies only. A Monterey County evacuation zone map is available online.

The Napa County Office of Emergency Services issued an alert late Thursday morning to remind residents the region that a flood watch went into effect at noon and would remain in place through Sunday morning. 

Over a 22-day stretch starting on Dec, 26, a series of atmospheric rivers flowed over the Bay Area. The San Lorenzo and Salinas Rivers and Pajaro Creek roared over their banks, flooding neighborhoods. 

KPIX 5 First Alert Weather: Current Conditions, Forecasts, Alerts For Your Area

"Rapid rise in rivers and streams is anticipated," the weather service said of the latest storm front. "Areas of particular concern include the San Lorenzo River at Big Trees, the Pajaro Creek near Dunneville and the Big Sur River near Big Sur. These areas are forecast to go into moderate flood stage early Friday morning."

San Francisco officials were urging small businesses to clear storm drains, stock up on inventory, use sandbags and ensure equipment is properly stored. They also suggested employers consider adjusting their work schedules for workers' safety. 

In Madera County, Sheriff Tyson Pogue said the warm rain will trigger a rapid snowmelt of the areas near Yosemite National Park to create a two-pronged threat.

"The big danger here is, you don't only have this big atmospheric river coming through, but you have massive amount of snow that's going to melt all at the same time," he said. "So there is an absolute huge threat here."

More than 400 residents in the county had been ordered to evacuate their homes as a precaution.

"This gives them plenty of notice for them to pack their.. pack their belongings, get their critical stuff together, any identification, medication, things that they have to have for their own survival," he said.

Ramiro Murrieta's home and farm were overwhelmed by flood waters in Gilroy in January. He fears what the latest atmospheric river holds for his home and family.

"The water took away everything that was here. The tractors got flooded. We got about five feet of water in the house," Murrieta said.

As the area braces for the arrival yet another atmospheric river, Murrieta and Raul Vega, another Mexican farmworker from the area, said they are incredibly concerned about the impact of the coming storm on their livelihood.

"We don't know what will happen to the land or the plants. Right now, everything is unknown and stressful," explained Murrieta.

Kenny Choi contributed to this report.