Over 1,000 Californians were forced to evacuate Saturday morning after a levee failed and the small town of Pajaro was flooded by a torrential storm that drenched the Central Coast’s Monterey County.
Dramatic footage posted on social media showed early-morning rescues being carried out for residents who’d become trapped in their parked vehicle by rising floodwaters.
Extractions continued throughout the pre-dawn hours, with the California National Guard writing on Twitter that its members “supported first responders in 56 rescues near the Pajaro river in Monterey County.”
Local media reported the levee breach was approximately 100 feet wide as of 9:45 Saturday morning.
Drone footage published on Twitter indicates the flooding showed little signs of stopping, with surging stormwaters continuing to careen over the levee well into Saturday.
As of Saturday evening, over 16,000 Monterey County residents remained without power, according to PowerOutage.US.
With wells flooded, those living in Pajaro are reportedly being urged not to use tap water until further notice due to the potential for contamination.