SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – More than 5,000 people are impacted by evacuation warnings and orders along the central coast as a result of the Pajaro River levee being breached.
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Unfortunately, officials say it's going to get worse before it gets better.
The breach of the levee now stretches more than 300 feet, with water moving through the Pajaro community in a deluge.
"Our focus has been preservation of life and safety for all individuals that are in flood zones," said Monterey County Administrative Officer Sonia De La Rosa.
Officials had already been working on the levee before the recent storms knowing the risk that rainfall would pose to its integrity.
"We knew that there were a couple of areas that needed to be fixed," she said. "There was reinforcement that was already applied."
"Even with that, the water was so much stronger," she said.
Pajaro is a small town composed mostly of agricultural workers. Residents have since been sent to local shelters during this flood.
The latest threat now comes from more upcoming rainfall expected over the next day or so and how that will affect the Salinas River.
Officials expect a number of roads on the Monterey Peninsula will be inundated, including Highway 68.
"Given the close proximity of this atmospheric river to the last one that we've just received a few days ago, the ground is incredibly saturated as are the trees," said David King, with the National Weather Service.
"It will not take much to knock down trees and cause power outages," he said. "Flooding is expected."
Evacuation orders have been issued for areas around the Salinas River, including Greenfield, Gonzales, and Spreckels.
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