The heavy rains that soaked the Bay Area pushed the Guadalupe River in San Jose to threatening levels on Thursday.
San Jose police issued an evacuation alert overnight, going door-to-door in some cases, as they warned residents that the river might spill over its banks.
Marty Chiechi, who lives in Willow Glen, said that an officer came to his door at 4:30 a.m. urging him to leave the area.
"We prepared to get out," said Chiechi, although he ultimately did not seek dryer ground.
Residents in Guadalupe River area from Willow Glen Way to Atlanta Avenue have San Jose’s designated evacuation center @ Willow Glen Community Center available. If special assistance is needed call: 408-535-3500. Resident areas not named for evacuation should remain in place. pic.twitter.com/hjjvoUMn7Q
— City of San José (@CityofSanJose)
February 14, 2019 The muddy water in the river crested around 7 a.m. on Thursday. The powerful storm caused problems throughout the Bay Area, including Sausalito where a mudslide sent a duplex careening down a hill into a neighboring home.
The city may have been acting out of an abundance of caution after the Coyote Creek unexpectedly flooded in 2017, forcing 14,000 people to flee their homes.
