Crews prepare for more flooding in Tulare County as latest storm hits Valley

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- More rain on Tuesday threatened further flooding in Tulare County as residents began picking up the pieces from weekend storms.

With waterways pushed to their limits, emergency responders want to reduce the risk of further damage.

The Tulare Fire Department, alongside Cal Fire, Orange County Fire Authority, and the Army Corps of Engineers, worked on a debris collection system in Lake Success to keep it from going downstream and creating issues.

"If we don't contain it now, and it gets over the spillway able just like I said, cause blockage down maybe like under a bridge or overpass where the water flowing underneath and cause water to spill over the banks or even over the bridge," explained Tulare County Fire Capt. Francisco Benitez.

Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux says his team is also paying close attention to the spillways and dams.

"The dams are safe, and they will hold. The spill wells are doing their job. But this is a situation where we do need to pay attention to what's going on around us," Boudreaux said.

As more rain falls, concerns of flooded and washed-out roadways grow.

Benitez is urging people not to drive around road closure barriers because you don't know what you're driving into.

"Up on top, it looks normal, but underneath, you don't know if the road is washed away or if it's deep. I know a couple of guys have gone out and done rescues where people are trapped in the water because they did that and the vehicle stalled out," said Benitez.

Benitez says by Tuesday night, at least 80 people had been rescued from floodwaters in the county.

Sheriff Boudreaux says people need to listen to the warnings, but also make sure they are getting their information from a legitimate source and not listening to social media rumors.

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