UPDATE (KRON): Evacuation orders will begin Sunday morning for certain zones near the CZU burn scar in Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Felton, and North coast, according to Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department PIO.
There are about 319 low lying high-risk homes.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (BCN/KRON) –As the “Atmospheric River” rainstorm barrels toward the Bay Area, evacuations are expected in higher-risk areas of Santa Cruz County, sheriff’s deputies are going door to door to notify residents and a shelter for evacuees is anticipated to open Sunday morning, a county official said Saturday.
County residents are encouraged to call (831) 454-2181 with questions regarding evacuations and resources, and the county expects to open a shelter at 8 a.m. Sunday, according to Nicole Coburn, the county’s assistant county administrative officer.
“The Sheriff’s Office began door-to-door outreach Saturday in anticipation of evacuations in higher- risk areas,” Coburn said. Deputies are contacting homes in the low-lying, high-risk areas that have the highest potential for evacuation, the assistant administrative officer said.
Residents are encouraged to look up their evacuation zone at https://community.zonehaven.com. Residents are also encouraged to register landlines, cell phones, or VoIP phones with CodeRED by visiting https://www.scr911.org/ and signing up for notifications, or texting SCR911 to 99411.
“We are finalizing the plans for the location of the evacuee shelter and soon as we get the site solidified we will advise the public” of the location, Coburn said.
Debris flows are fast-moving masses of mud, rocks, boulders, trees and sometimes homes or vehicles. They move quickly and are often deadly to those in their path.
The only way to avoid debris flows is to move to safety prior to any debris flow event, according to the county.
For debris flow information, residents can visit here.
County residents are advised to seek shelter with friends and families and asked to follow local news or County Twitter or Facebook for updates and additional information.