A series of blustery, wet storms that felled trees and power lines across the San Lorenzo Valley and flooded the Felton Grove community continued Thursday afternoon with steady rain and light winds.
The storms began Sunday, Jan. 18, with wind and rain and have continued steadily all week.
On Monday, trees toppled, knocking down wires, on Alba Road in Ben Lomond, Felton Empire Road in Felton and Empire Grade Road in Bonny Doon, making it difficult for residents to leave the mountain community.
Country road crews teamed with Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to restore power and access to Bonny Doon. With multiple trees down in some areas, however, some residents were without electricity for days.
“This storm has been especially challenging,” PG&E spokesman Kory Raftery said. “Not only have we been dealing with heavy rains and powerful winds, we’ve also had to deal with hail, tornadoes and lightning.”
Raftery said crews have worked 24 hours a day since the storm began to restore power.
Thousands of customers in the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley lost power at one time or another. As of 10 a.m. Thursday, 630 were without electricity
in Boulder Creek, 359 in Ben Lomond, 324 in Felton and 380 in Scotts Valley.
On Tuesday, trees fell across Highway 9 at Glen Arbor Road in Ben Lomond and at El Solyo Heights Road near San Lorenzo Valley Middle School.
A redwood tree fell and took out wires along East Zayante Road at Redwood Camp in Felton. It narrowly missed a 90-year-old woman as she picked up her mail.
Traffic into Felton on Graham Hill Road was at a standstill at rush hour, as crews closed East Zayante and the corner stoplight was without electricity.
Numerous trees and branches fell in Mission Springs in Scotts Valley, crushing cars and damaging homes.
San Lorenzo Valley schools were closed Tuesday and Wednesday, as the storm knocked out power to campuses in Felton and Boulder Creek.
“I’ve been superintendent for eight years, and this is the first time I’ve had to close the schools,” Haff said.
Haff said the district will apply for a waiver from the state, explaining why the closure happened. During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, she said, the schools were closed for five days and the days were not made up at the end of the school year.
She was not yet sure this week whether the school would be required to make up any school days after the recent closures.
On Wednesday, heavy winds lashed the county and the San Lorenzo River rose over its banks and flooded the Felton Grove community. Residents of 40 to 50 homes in the area were called to evacuate as the river reached 18 feet and overflowed into the streets, including River Road and Sylvan Way.
County spokeswoman Dinah Phillips said a siren in the area alerts residents when the river hits 14 feet, and it sounds again for evacuation at 17 feet.
The flooding began about 11 a.m., but the water began to recede by 12:30 p.m.
Resident Carrie Butler was still packing up her SUV shortly after the water began to recede.
“We’re just bringing everything, in case we can’t get back in,” she said.
Paul Peterson, who has lived in the area six years, stood in the street watching the water and chatting with neighbors.
“You can only do so much,” he said. “If it comes, it comes. Last time it flooded, I was here, and I saw a canoe come up the street. It seems like a lot more water now than then.”
But Peterson said that despite the encroaching floodwaters, he’s not leaving the neighborhood.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “I’m staying.”
The area has flooded several times in recent decades. Most notable was a storm in 1982, when the water covered the entire area and left piles of debris in garages, severely damaging many homes. After that, Federal Emergency Management Agency money built up the riverbank and paid to put many of the houses on stilts.
Also Wednesday, a mudslide slowed traffic on Highway 17 Southbound. It was a minor slide and was cleaned up quickly for commuters.
Rain continued overnight and into Thursday. Local fire districts have responded to many calls about trees falling and wires down, and crews have cleared roads quickly.
On Thursday, rains continued, but the river level remained low and county crews continued to respond to fallen trees and wires and minor mudslides.
Sources for sandbags
• Local fire districts
• Valley Churches United Missions: 9430 Love Creek Road, Ben Lomond, 336-8258
• Scarborough Lumber: 9470 Highway 9, Ben Lomond, 336-5142
• Scotts Valley Rockery: 5030 Scotts Valley Drive, 438-3644
• Central Home Supply: 180 El Pueblo Road, Scotts Valley, 440-0763
Emergency information
• Pacific Gas and Electric Co.: 800-743-5002
• Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office: 471-1121
• California Highway Patrol: 662-0511
• County road closures: www.sccroadclosure.org
• California Highway Patrol incidents: http://cad.chp.ca.gov/
