VOLUNTARY EVACUATIONS: Flash flood warning issued for parts of San Benito County

UPDATE 2/7/17 7:00 PM: Hollister residents on Lovers Lane near Pacheco Creek road are dealing with their third flood of 2017.

San Benito County Officials say the creek has risen to 19 and a half feet and the Pacheco Creek Levee is broken in two new places.

It’s a sad case of Deja Vu for residents on Lovers Lane in Hollister.

Homes close to Pacheco Creek are once again facing flood damage due to breaks in the levee. San Benito County Emergency services began issuing voluntary evacuations for residents Tuesday morning.

“We’re just in response mode” said Kevin O’Neill, emergency services manager with San Benito County emergency services. “Trying to just make sure that if people are still in their houses that we get them out so that there’s no injuries or worse.” O’Neill says they’ve worked diligently to fix the Pacheco Creek Levee but the weather has made it difficult. “We started working on fixing it, so we had to build a road to get to the levee” O’Neill said. “That’s what we had been working on and then this storm just rolled up on us pretty fast.” The flood waters on Lovers Lane have continued to rise steadily, just after residents began rebuilding and repairing their homes after the last flood. Lovers Lane resident Margie Alvarez says she’s one of the few residents on Lovers Lane who did not begin repairs right away. Something she’s grateful for now. “Thank God we hadn’t done anything as far as putting in carpeting and doing drywall and everything” she said. “But a lot of these people had. They had already turned around and started doing their drywall again and now they’re going to have to rip out everything again.” Emergency Services says, so far, they’ve not had to rescue anyone. For now, residents continue to wait for the water to recede so they can regroup and rebuild.

UPDATE 2/7/17 12:26 p.m.: Voluntary evacuations are happening along Lovers Lane, just north of Hollister Tuesday afternoon, according to the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office.

Emergency managers say Pacheco Creek is flooding the area showing 15.8 feet and rising. Moderate flood stage for the creek is 12 feet.

Residents are asked to avoid Lovers Lane and San Felipe Rd.

PREVIOUS STORY: A Flash Flood Warning has been issued for for the following areas until 6PM… Soap/San Felipe Lake, Frazier Lake, northern Hollister, and Lover`s Lane.

At 9:59AM, stream gage information from Pacheco Creek near Dunneville show rapidly rising water levels that are approaching flood stage. Continued rainfall and stream flow forecasts suggest the creek will continue to rise above flood stage later today.

Remember: Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.

A Flash Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring. If you are in the warned area move to higher ground immediately. Residents living along streams and creeks should take immediate precautions to protect life and property.