Workers are making emergency repairs to the Pajaro River levee in Monterey County, California, as approximately 21,000 people are under an evacuation order or warning, county officials said.
Contractors are filling the gaps in the levee and have approximately 20 feet to go, said Shaunna Murray, the senior water resources engineer at the Water Resources Agency.
This temporary fix will stabilize the gap so that water flows out at a reduced rate, she said, adding officials hope the work will be completed by the end of Tuesday or on Wednesday. The full repair of the levee will take several additional weeks after this first repair is done, she added.
An additional breach has occurred near Highway 1 and is flowing out to the ocean, but the breach happened naturally and is helping to lower the flood level, Murray said.
In Pajaro, approximately 2,000 people evacuated with 239 rescues conducted by boat or high-water vehicles, Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said during the press conference. In Aroyo Seco, approximately 350 people evacuated with approximately 20 to 40 residents sheltering in place, according to the sheriff.
