Residents work to repair washed out road in Mariposa County as next storm approaches

MARIPOSA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Residents were busy dealing with damage from the latest storms on Monday before the next big one arrives in Mariposa County.

Burn scars from wildfires in recent years are making many areas more susceptible to rain and runoff.

Residents and officials have their hands full with emergencies and disasters, like Triangle Park Road being washed out.

Former Mariposa County Sheriff Doug Binnewies is one of the community members taking action to fix the problem.

Last Friday, his 17-year-old daughter was driving home in the peak of the rain storm and noticed a 40x20 foot gap where the road had completely washed away.

Triangle Park is not a county road, it's a private one. So, residents are responsible for the repair.

They built an emergency foot bridge and called in a contractor to help patch the road. They've also been placing sandbags ahead of the next round of rain.

"These events on top of one another are really impactful. The snow, the rain, the washout it does wear people down. But this community is strong," explained Binnewies.

Mariposa County Sheriff's Lt. Mike Charman says they've been inundated with more than 1,000 calls for service during the storms over the last couple of weeks.

"We've been responding from everything from people trapped in their homes with roof collapses. Our search and rescue volunteers have been out using some of their technical equipment to get into these places to provide emergency services," said Charman.

With roads still slick, crews are now working to clear culverts and debris from drains and ditches.

Officials say they do not expect the next storm to be as significant as the last, but they still want to make sure the community is ready.

"Preparedness has always helpful and important. The county is making a strong effort to increase resources and opportunities to help the public prepare because we can expect to see more disasters, more storms, we know that they are going to come," said Lizz Darcy with Mariposa County.

As for Triangle Park Road, patience may also be needed.

Residents will have to wait until late spring or early summer before they have will have a permanent fix.

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