Impacts from the ongoing parade of storms continue to be most severe just south of the Bay Area in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, and on Monday, the main route into Santa Cruz from the north, Highway 17, was completely blocked by a landslide.
Sometime around 9 a.m. on Monday, a landslide including whole trees and debris came down onto the southbound lanes of Highway 17 just south of Glenwood Drive, and the road is now impassible from the north.
This rural area has been inundated with rain in the last two weeks, and on New Year's Eve a huge sinkhole formed along Glenwood Drive itself.
Traffic alert 🚨 road closure Southbound SR-17 south of Glenwood Dr. Slide is blocking the roadway pic.twitter.com/lvAcjrhfLT
— CHP Santa Cruz (@CHPscrz) January 9, 2023
Another massive landslide occurred early Monday on State Route 9 just to the west of Highway 17, which runs along part of the overflowing San Lorenzo River. That landslide is near Holiday Lane.
Traffic alert 🚨 road closure: SR-9 and Holiday Lane. Slide blocking the roadway. Please avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/6JsAF3DYUg
— CHP Santa Cruz (@CHPscrz) January 9, 2023
Part of northbound Highway 1 is also blocked in Santa Cruz near River Street due to the rising San Lorenzo River.
🚨🚧 We’re preparing for an emergency closure of the N/B # 2 lane on Hwy 1 s/of River Street due to removal of this log jam at the freeway over-crossing, as the San Lorenzo River continues to rise. pic.twitter.com/ozjKVsYaol
— CHP Santa Cruz (@CHPscrz) January 9, 2023
Multiple homes became flooded earlier today in the Felton Grove area of the Santa Cruz Mountains. As the Chronicle reports, the water from the San Lorenzo River continues to rise, and many residents in this area as well as others along the river were evacuated over the weekend.
Major flooding in Felton Grove in Santa Cruz County as San Lorenzo River spills its banks pic.twitter.com/6Hrcvrmih6
— Kurtis Alexander (@kurtisalexander) January 9, 2023
Linda & Al Orengo bought their home five years ago in Felton Grove. “We now have waterfront property,” they said. “We’ve never had it this bad.” Another neighbor said, “we’re done and we’re moving!” #CAwx pic.twitter.com/sjMNLRTmcm
— Brooks Jarosz (@BrooksKTVU) January 9, 2023
As KTVU reports, those residents who did not escape earlier and became stranded Monday morning were rescued via jet skis by emergency personnel.
Flooding in the area is reaching historic levels. Felton Grove resident Al Orengo told KTVU, "I've never seen it this high since 1982."
Al and his wife Linda showed the station that while their property was inundated, their home suffered only minimal flooding so far.
"Mother Nature's gonna do what Mother Nature's gonna do," Linda Orengo tells KTVU. "You just have to prepare the best you can."