Pajaro River residents looking out for overflow

The Monterey County Office of Emergency Services is issuing a monitor stage warning for the Pajaro River near Watsonville.

While they say it is not expected to get to a flood stage, residents are still a little worried. With heavy rains expected overnight, residents in this neighborhood are keeping a watchful eye on that river nearby.

These homeowners in Pajaro say they have seen flooding here before. The Watsonville Public Works Department says they have sensors that keep track of the water levels along Pajaro River.

Back in 2017, they saw water levels rise very high, but nothing since then has caused much concern.

Watsonville does its part by making sandbags available and clearing out storm drains. Residents say they are going to see what happens.

“Yeah, it came up… well the road was all flooded but it just came up to the driveway,” said Stan Mano, a Pajaro resident.

“I don’t even know what to do because it’s the first time,” said Carmen Cisneros, a Pajaro resident. “I know I’ve seen it years ago in the newspaper all the damage, so I don’t even know what to do.”

Residents say they keep a close eye on each other, and it’s good to have people you can rely on in emergencies.

And of course, emergency officials say it is important to have some belongings prepared in case you need to evacuate because of flooding.