With another round of heavy rain on the forecast, Le Grand homeowners prep sandbags

MERCED COUNTY (KFSN) -- More than a dozen homes were evacuated in Le Grand after water from the Mariposa Creek rushed out and flooded the area. The water was moving very quickly and levels remain high at the creek.

County officials are keeping their eye on the creek and several others around the county as more storms are predicted for later this week.

With a short break from recent storms, farm workers are moving quickly to pump water from inundated fields. Meanwhile, people are picking up sand bags before another round of rain comes into the area.

"It's not going to be long until we get this next impact from this weather system coming through," Merced County official Mike North said.

Ryan Montaya says she saw some water trickling down her street on Saturday but didn't think much of it, but she says that quickly changed.

"Next thing you know, like an hour later, the whole street was all flooded," she said.

Her street was flooded, and county officials evacuated more than 20 homes over the weekend after water rushed out from the Mariposa Creek. The county says for the first time in 50 years, water began going over the Mariposa Reservoir's spillway.

"We have several streams, rivers, and waterways that we're monitoring," North said. "We're seeing high flows on all of them and there could be an impact on all of them."

A lot of the water has receded since the weekend. County crews are taking advantage of clear skies and are working to lessen the impact from last week's storms while preparing for new ones expected soon.

"The ground has not had a chance to dry out and is very saturated," North said. "We're expecting a very big impact on this next system."

Sandbags are available for residents, Montaya is already laying her out in front of her home. She says, this time, she's ready for the next round.

"Last time we weren't prepared," she said. "We weren't expecting it. Now we're prepared. We have extra stuff aside, so it's already ready to go."

The county also says wells were impacted during this past weekend's floods. They say those used be disinfected before they are used again.

There are several sandbag locations throughout the county, including one in Le Grand in front of the fire station. The county EOC will also remain active if more storms do come through.