Planada residents still struggling 9 months after widespread flooding
After months of cleaning, some residents are finally able to move back into their homes.
MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's been nine months since back-to-back storms caused catastrophic flooding in the community of Planada.
Hundreds of people were displaced while dealing with dangerous damage from all the water.
"If a lot of rain were to come down, I know our house would flood again because of the way it is and the way it flooded last time," said Planada resident Cynthia Hope Andrade.
She has lived in Planada off and on for most of her life.
She's one of several people we spoke to who say they live in fear.
And their concerns are valid. Data analysis from ABC Owned Television stations shows Merced County is at high risk for flooding in the next 30 years.
Andrade believes local leaders haven't done enough to prevent another flood.
"The area where we live, I haven't seen them do that much to fix so it doesn't flood," said Andrade.
Merced County officials did not respond to our several requests for an interview - but have previously highlighted efforts to help people find housing after the flood.
After months of cleaning, some residents are finally able to move back into their homes, including Maria Soto.
"I was one of the last family members to get into the vehicle, to be driven away, and my feet were in the water as they were driving away," said Soto.
She says she's lived in her home for almost 50 years. When the storm hit, she says she lost everything. Now, she tells me she's about $100,000 in debt because of the flood. Soto wants to ensure this never happens to her or anyone in Planada again.
"If and when this should happen again, that we would be notified promptly in advance so that we might be able to evacuate properly," said Soto.
Another area of concern is the Planada post office.
It's still closed because of the flood.
People must drive to a location in Merced to pick up their mail.
A USPS spokesperson says the postal service apologizes to the people of Planada and is still working on repairs to the building.
Currently, there is no set date for the post office to reopen.
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