Questions about emergency alerts after Ralph Lane suffers flooding in sudden downpour

PRUNEDALE, Calif. (KION) - Monterey County officials are calling the flooding that happened in Prunedale on Wednesday an unusual weather anomaly.

In 15 minutes water reached several homes near Ralph Lane. Many were trapped with water reaching a few feet. Lucilla Nestor Lopez was home with her 1-year-old

Translate"I didn't think I was going to be able to get out, because when I opened the door and the water pushed against the door, it started to enter and asked to grab my baby," said Lucilla.

The heavy downpour arrived Wednesday afternoon just before 1 pm. Weather reports show the area received 1.5 inches of rain in 45 minutes. Cars were completely inundated and even people getting around in kayaks.

"I didn't think I was going to live because you see those things that were floating weigh a lot, imagine a person, a person doesn't weigh nothing in water. I told myself I needed to go in. I need to do it no matter what happens, at least I had saved my baby," said Lopez.

Her home is now empty and redtagged.
Lucilla, her husband, and three kids will stay at Motel 6 in Salinas for the next 5 days However, they don't know where she will go after.

"We are hoping someone will come and offer help – or I'm hoping we can stay another 5 days at the hotel," said Lopez.

Even people with flood-resistant properties were not immune to flood damage.

"The property that we built back in the early 90s. We had it engineered for a 100-year flood. It is above all the other properties as far as the height of the buildings," said Don Tannahill who lives in Prunedale.

Although the county sent an alert at 1 p.m., Many neighbors on Ralph Lane, including Lopez did not receive it

"No, nothing. So no alerts were sent," said Erica Zamora who lives in Prunedale.

"I was contacted by one of my tenants, and that's how I came down to the property on Wednesday, during the storm," said Tannahill.

The county says people living in red-tagged homes can contact the housing community center and community development permit center for any assistance. The Red Cross has also extended a helping hand.

"We have caseworkers that we pair them up with to do follow up with them until they get into a permanent place and they have what they need. If furniture was damaged, we have partners we work with that we will bring them together," said Patsy H. Gasca, Disaster Program Manager for the Red Cross.

Two days later several people I spoke to called off work to clean up the mess the water left.

The county says they will help with clean-up efforts by providing trucks for people up until Wednesday to throw out any items damaged from the water.