Storm Aftermath still Affecting Felton Area Residents 

FELTON, CALIF. (KION-TV)- New Year's Day is showing clear skies for people in the Felton area, but the day before was completely different.

The storm that hit the Santa Cruz mountains saw waters rise so high that people were forced to evacuate. A day later, mudslides, fallen trees and even sinkholes are causing problems for people living there like Dylan Bounds. 

“You need food or water,” Bounds said. “If you're not prepared for it, then you just gotta do what you got to do. Drive a couple of hours up and over the top of the mountain to get down to get whatever you need.”

Because of how much damage was done in the Santa Cruz mountains, road closures have been placed between North and Southbound Highway 9.

For those driving to Felton, this makes things a little bit more difficult. Especially for parents like Bounds who need supplies for their children.

“Especially my wife's pregnant right now, too,” Bounds said. “And then my daughter's 14 months, and so she just ran out of milk last night. And so we're like, well, we got to leave first thing in the morning. And it took us from North Boulder, which is 2 hours up and over just to get to here in Felton. It's typically a 15 minute drive for us.”

Caltrans is one of multiple agencies checking in on the aftermath of the storm. Caltrans District 5 Public Information Officer Kevin Drabinski explains how helpful the community is to their efforts.

“The community plays a valuable and significant role in keeping us informed about roadway conditions,” Drabinski said.

Bounds explains how he prepares for situations like yesterday's storm.

“I keep a chainsaw and gas in my truck in case I run into a situation like today where the guys are working on the tree and ran out of gas,” Bounds said. “So I had some.”

Cal-Trans said that even though debris and trees look to be clear from Highway 9, their Geo-Tech teams must clear the neighboring hills safe in order for the public to drive through them.