San Jose, CA Declares Local Emergency Amid Major Flooding -60 Mile east Already Has 550 Inches Snow
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) Slowly the Coyote Creek floodwaters began to recede under clear skies wednesday, but thousands of san Jose residents remained evacuated from their homes with no official word as to when they might be able to return to their neighborhoods.
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At a morning news conference, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo urged the evacuees not to attempt to return home.
We are urging people not to return to their homes in those mandatory evacuation areas, he said. The water is not safe. There is contamination in this water and the contamination runs the gamut.
Liccardo also said there was not timetable for lifting the evacuation orders.
Bluntly, the water is receding, but we are far from out of this, he said.
Officials said at least 14,000 residents had evacuated from their homes to escape the rapidly rising waters on Tuesday and another 30,000 lived in neighborhoods put under a voluntary evacuation order late Tuesday night.
U.S. Highway 101 was shut down to just twolanes in the northbound direction within the city limits by flooding, bringingthe morning commute to a virtual standstill.
Breakfast was served to those who were displaced after a relatively sleepless night on cots in James Lick High Schools gym.
Others awoke at the home of friends and family members or in local hotels and motels.
The plight of the evacuees tugged at the heartstrings of the Bay Areas largest city. Residents like Shelene Huy-Booker were among those dropping off donations of clothing and toys for the children at the evacuation centers.
I spotted this little girl and all I could she had was this Minnie Mouse (doll), said Huy-Booker, whose voice was filled with emotions. She was just looking around like she was lost. This is surreal, so I went home and told my daughter shes four I was like: We have to do something. We have to get some toys to take to this little girl.
Evacuees were also telling stories of their rescues from the waters. Flood victim Juanita Wilson said her belongings started to float around her apartment.
Thats like a nightmare, said Wilson. Its kind of like something you cant believe is happening but it is happening.
Margaret Cervantes lives on the second story of one of the buildings caught in the flood. She lost her car, but was able to grab some valuables.
Just a little bit overwhelmed with everything thats happened, said Cervantes. I was fortunate enough to be able to grab baby books, pictures, clothes, my children, so I feel fortunate.
Meanwhile, floodwaters measuring more than four feet deep on some streets had begun to slowly recede.
According to the National Weather Service, the flood waters had receded from a high of 14.4 feet at the height of the surge Tuesday night at Edendale to 11.5 feet by 7 a.m. Wednesday.
At Madrone, the creek has receded from 12.6 feet to 9 feet.
However, the Anderson Reservoir, which drains into the Coyote Creek, remained at more than 100 percent capacity and its spillway was still gushing thousands of gallons of water an hour into the creek.
A flash flood advisory remained in effect at the creek until Saturday.
The water spilling in from Coyote Creek was cold and murky. As it filtered through the neighborhoods, it became a noxious stew of sewage, dirty diapers, household chemicals and engine oil.
At least 225 residents were taken Tuesday to dry land and rinsed with soap and water to prevent them from being sickened by floodwaters. Health officials urged others to get tetanus shots as an extra safety measure.
Source: http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/02/22/thousands-remain-evacuated-in-san-jose/
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