New warning issued for area along Tuolumne in Modesto. Sheriff warns of ‘volatile’ forecast

The Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services issues another evacuation warning Saturday afternoon, this one for the Riverdale neighborhood and surrounding areas along the Tuolumne River in Modesto.

The evacuation warning is for any residents and/or businesses in an area that includes parts of West Hatch, Vivian, Poland and Paradise roads, Parkdale Drive and Riverdale, Woodland, Greenlawn, Avondale and South Rosemore avenues.

Deputies with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office will making contact with residents in the warning area. About 1,000 residents could be impacted, Sheriff Jeff Dirkse said in a video posted on the StanEmergency page on Facebook.

Those in the affected area should prepare now to leave at a moment’s notice if the situation becomes worse, StanEmergency said in a different Facebook post.

“If you choose to evacuate, there are two shelters available. Residents may go to the Salvation Army Red Shield at 1649 Las Vegas Street in Modesto, or the Stanislaus County Fairground at 900 North Broadway in Turlock. You can also Call 209-552-3880 for information. If you do evacuate, please do so safely,” the post says.

In a video update also on StanEmergency’s Facebook page, Sheriff Jeff Dirkse said the key takeaway Saturday was that the weather forecast is “extremely volatile.”

Though the day was warmer and largely clear, “looking forward, we do expect potentially large amounts of rainfall,” he said. The forecast is so volatile that it can go from almost no rain to multiple inches in a matter of hours, and then nothing again, he said. “So from our standpoint, we treat this for the worst-case scenario, and that is what we plan for.”

The main river flow issues right now are with the Tuolumne and the San Joaquin. The evacuation order and warning areas along the San Joaquin in Newman are not expected to change “anytime soon,” Dirkse said, and the Tuolumne is expected to near the flood stage level of 55 feet within the next 48 hours.

“If we hit 55 feet on the Tuolumne, there is a potential impact on community wells,” the sheriff said. The Department of Environmental Resources is monitoring. All the water currently is safe and there is no need to worry, he said.

On the San Joaquin River, the sheriff said the Grayson and Crows Landing bridges are being monitored, and there is a strong possibility those will be closed over the next 24 hours.

The sheriff’s full video is at www.facebook.com/StanEmergency/videos/772321084308655.

This story was originally published March 11, 2023 at 2:45 PM.