Salinas River expected to flood this weekend

The Salinas River is already partially full from past week’s storms. With more rainy weather on the way, it’s forecasted to reach flood stage this weekend.

“There’s a really strong atmospheric river storm system that is aiming at southern California and San Luis Obispo County where the upper watershed of the Salinas River is,” said Mark Strudley , National Weather Service Hydrologist. “That’s causing some enhanced precipitation south of Monterey County as well as in Monterey County itself, and the Salinas River watershed.”

Bradley, south Monterey County, Soledad and Spreckles are just a few places along the river that could see minor flooding.

“It’s definitely a concern especially since that’s on my way to work,” said Lindsey Morgan of Salinas. “So it would definitely impact a lot more than just a flooding river and a road I wouldn’t be able to get to a lot of my jobs that I have.”

Kris Darch said he remembers the historic flooding of the river in 1998.

“It went clear out to Blanco Road,” said Darch. “I own the Feed Trough on Hwy 68 and we were an island, we were surrounded by water.”

The National Weather Service said it does not expect it to get that high, but they do believe mostly agricultural land and low lying homes could be impacted.