Carmel River spills over levee

It was a scary night for the residents of Carmel Valley Village. Around 11 p.m., the Carmel River started spilling over a levee and flooded several homes along Paso Hondo Road.

One resident told KION they’ve had minor flooding in the area before, but never anything like what they experienced overnight.

Gary Briant was working in his garage Sunday evening when water began rushing inside.

“Within minutes, it was three feet deep in the garage,” said Briant. Outside, he found water knee deep in his yard.

“My wife and I — we have three boys who were asleep, of course — the firefighters suggested we evacuate and we did, except I decided to stay to continue to bring stuff to higher levels,” said Briant.

Briant and his family were safe. The inside of their home was another story.

“Everything else in the garage (was damaged) and we have a living room behind it, that’s just waist deep in mud right now,” said Briant.

The Briants weren’t the only ones affected. Other homes along Paso Hondo Road were also evacuated.

“(It) directly impacted about five homes and indirectly impacted about 50 homes. We ended up placing the neighborhood under an evacuation advisory,” said Eric Ulwelling, from Monterey County Regional Fire District.

No injuries were reported. Officials warn everyone in the area to be prepared for whatever Mother Nature may bring.

“We really don’t know what the weather has in store for us” said Ulwelling. “Again our recommendation to the public is be proactive when you still can do so under non-emergency circumstances and prepare to leave if necessary.”