Stanislaus gets some rain relief before wet holiday weekend. What’s up in flood zones?
Most of the flood threat eased off in Stanislaus County as of Thursday, but the watch continues as more storms approach.
Dry Creek in Modesto and Orestimba Creek near Newman have receded, county government spokeswoman Sonya Severo said by email.
Evacuation orders have displaced a total of 165 people. They include 54 moved Monday from the San Luis Care Center in Newman, at risk from Orestimba Creek.
The largest evacuation is along the San Joaquin River along the east side of River Road between Crows Landing Road and Hills Ferry Road. It is mostly farmland but also takes in the Catfish Camp trailer park.
The San Joaquin remains within its banks but was rising as of Thursday morning, about 7 feet below its flood stage. Officials hope it stays within its banks as they deal with high flows from most of its tributaries.
In a video update Thursday afternoon, Sheriff Jeff Dirkse said the San Joaquin water level remains the primary concern but at this time, the county anticipates no additional evacuations.
The county continues to evaluate evacuation warnings and orders, but he said those who’ve been evacuated should not expect to be able to return home before Monday or Tuesday. He said there are extra law enforcement patrols in evacuated areas to ensure there is no looting going on.
People are continuing to arrive at the evacuation center in Newman, Dirkse said, but plenty of capacity remains.
Unused reservoir space has kept the county from widespread flooding on the Tuolumne and Stanislaus rivers. No dams regulate the flow on Orestimba Creek or Dry Creek. They continue to be monitored as the rainy pattern goes on.
The National Weather Service forecast 1 to 2 inches of rain in Modesto on Friday and Saturday, with winds up to 10 miles per hour. The area’s Sierra Nevada watershed could get 24 to 30 inches of fresh snow.
Another storm could bring up to an inch of Modesto rain and 2 feet of snow on Sunday and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Monday. A third could drop up to 0.5 inches of rain and 18 inches of snow Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Modesto Irrigation District has recorded 10.82 inches of rain at its downtown office in the water year that began July 1. It is closing in on the historical average of 12.12 inches with nearly three months to go in the storm season.
The central Sierra snowpack stood at 229% of average Thursday, the California Department of Water Resources said.
This story was originally published January 12, 2023 at 12:49 PM.
