Residents in historic town of Spreckels eyeing Salinas River as it surpasses flood stage

SALINAS -- Residents of Spreckels, a community just south of Salinas, were keeping track of the nearby Salinas River which was past its flood stage Friday morning as yet another atmospheric river storm swept through the area.

The morning began with the river level at 24.27 feet, while the flood stage is 23 feet. Forecasters expected the level to be higher Friday morning, but an updated forecast said the river was expected to crest at 24.9 feet at about 5 p.m. Friday.

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning for the Salinas River, saying flooding is forecast in the Spreckels area and urging motorists not to drive around barricades or drive through flooded areas. The warning was in effect until further notice.

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"At 24 feet, the lowest areas of agricultural land along the lower portions of the Salinas River will have significant flooding," the weather service warned. "River Road will have moderate flooding. Spreckels Boulevard will begin to flood."

The Highway 68 bridge is one critical route to Monterey. It's also the location of the river gauge  that everyone is watching right now. 

"Right now it's at 24 1/2 feet," said Spreckels resident Al Montes. "Normally it breeches at about 24 feet in this area."

On Thursday, Montes was preparing for water in the streets. On Friday the 13th he was considering himself lucky. Just a half mile away, the river was full with the levees holding strong. 

"So we're hoping they hold up enough that the water gets diverted on the other side of Highway 68 and floods more fields," he laughed.

There was some field flooding, but it was in places where some amount of spilling was anticipated.  The big concern, water high enough to affect major roads, had not materialized. 

"If we end up closing roads, if we end up having to close Highway 68 or Blanco, or Highway one, the impact on our community would be significant and devastating," said Monterey County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew.

Root Askew says she's hopeful major disruptions will be avoided, but she also said the river and the coming days will be unpredictable. 

"So we expect that this is the peak of the flow coming through Spreckels in Salinas Valley towards the ocean right now," she said. "But we recognize also, that we are dealing with changing conditions and a lot of unknowns."

The battle is being fought near the coast. All that stormwater, trying to make it out to the Pacific, the tide pushing back creating something of a shoving match that is going to go on for a little while. As long as it does, those levees are going to have to hold on.

"So that's kinda like where we're at right now," Montes said. "Anticipation kills you."

But with the water below its original forecast and the sun peeking out at times, there is some cautious optimism along the Salinas.

Spreckels is a former company town built at the turn of the 20th century to house workers of the Spreckels Sugar Company plant, which operated from 1899 to 1982 and was demolished in 1992. The unincorporated community is also where writer John Steinbeck once lived and worked; it was also used as a location for the 1955 Steinbeck movie East of Eden.

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Real estate investor and current Spreckels resident Johnny Reyes told Reuters he had sandbagged his home and packed clothes in case he needs evacuate with his wife and two sons. 

"The roads might get flooded, but as far as our house is concerned, our house is built pretty high, Reyers told Reuters. "So I don't think it'll reach that level. But like I said, I don't know, it's Mother Nature's decision, so we have to wait."

Longtime resident Diane Souza told Reuters she and her husband have opted to stay at home in Spreckels and ride out any potential flooding.

"We've sandbagged our garage. Our house is up off the ground so we really didn't need to do much of sandbagging for that, about four to five feet off the ground," Souza told Reuters. "But we did sandbag the garage because it's on the ground level. We have a go-bag ready to go. And with other sorts of things, flashlights. We made sure flashlights in case electricity goes out. Making sure everything is working. And we've gone into town today [Thursday] since it's so nice. And my husband went and got some provisions, just things we needed, so if we're going to be here two to three days or however long we may be stranded, we're good to go."

Sam Cavazos, a 63-year-old retiree who moved to Spreckels from Vacaville in the Bay Area just nine months ago, sandbagged his home but told Reuters he has not faced any flooding in the past and doesn't think he's about to start.

Some 55 miles downstream from Spreckels, the Monterey County Sheriff downgraded Evacuation Orders to Evacuation Warnings for areas South of San Lucas to San Ardo near the Salinas River. The current evacuation map is available here: https://bit.ly/3Za0Xc0