Floodwaters inundated the area and triggered an immediate evacuation order for the Monterey Bay Community. The picture is a schematic diagram. (Shutterstock)
[The Epoch Times, March 13, 2023](The Epoch Times reporter Yin Ruina compiled a report) After an atmospheric river swept through California, the Pajaro River (Pajaro River) levee burst in the early morning of last Saturday (March 11). Floodwaters inundated the area and triggered an immediate evacuation order for the Monterey Bay Community.
Residents near the breach have been ordered to evacuate immediately to avoid “immediate threat to life”. About 1,700 Pajaro residents were forced to evacuate, according to the Associated Press. Evacuation orders were issued for 8,500 residents in Monterey County.
The Pajaro River is less than 15 miles from the small town of Soquel, where as many as 300 residents were cut off from a major road by rainwater. Nearly 40,000 PG&E customers on the Central Coast were without power due to the storm, KSBW 8 reported.
As of 7:49 a.m. that morning, the California National Guard had been called in to assist with the Pajaro River emergency, helping with 56 rescues, according to the California National Guard’s Twitter account.
A video released showed a California National Guard soldier pulling a man out of a submerged car. In the video, water appears to have soaked into the bottom of the steering wheel.
“The worst has unfortunately come for Pajaro. Tonight, my heart aches for the families in this community,” Monterey County Councilman Luis Alejo told KSBW 8. ◇
Responsible editor: Song Jiayi