San Benito County officials prepare residents for more storm

Before residents on Lovers Lane in Hollister clean up the flooding that took out some of their homes, another round of storms are making its way to the Central Coast.

On Tuesday night, San Benito County officials hosted a community meeting to see how they can help with flood recovery and storm preparation.

Many hope to get their lives back to normal soon.

“My two little ones, they don’t know what’s going on. They ask me, mom, I want to go home, I want to go home, and I have to tell them, this is home,” said Shirley Reclusada who has being staying at a migrant camp with her family of seven.

While residents are trying to rebuild, the county says it’s trying to help.

“We are asking the governor to proclaim a state of emergency and to provide some assistance to the county and to the residents here,” said Kevin O’Neill with San Benito County Emergency Services.

O’Niell said responders are learning from the past storm and preparing for the next one.

“We’ve actually been working with the weather service to adjust the flood gate upstream, it didn’t previously have a flood stage assigned to it, now it does,” O’Neill said.

But for now, the county says it can’t do anything to clear up Pacheco Creek or fix the broken levee that caused the flood.

“The creek is unfortunately on private property, which adds another layer to this, cleaning out the creek,” O’Neill said.

The county is working to reach the property owner for permission as residents worry about the next storm and try to save what they can.

“One of the things that’s really hurtful that can’t be replaced is photographs, and things that when the kids were little, and things of that sort, but it is what it is, we just have to move on, fix it, and take it from here,” said Ray Sanchez who began cleaning up his brother’s home on Lovers Lane.

The County has a reverse 911 system set up for the storm, and residents without a landline are encouraged to add their cell phone number on OES’s website.

San Benito County is also available at the following locations:

1. San Benito County Yard

471 4th St, Hollister, CA 95023

2. City of Hollister Yard

375 5th St, Hollister, CA 95023