Update 5:10 p.m.
Rain is expected to pick up soon, and more evacuations are planned for the Valley floor.
An evacuation order was issued for parts of Cutler due to a levee break in the area of Road 124, south of Avenue 408. The order is in place for businesses and homes along Road 124, south of Avenue 408 down to Railroad Drive to Santa Fe Drive, which turns into Eddy, from Avenue 407 to Lee Road to Avenue 408.
The road is closed at Road 124, south of Avenue 408.
Evacuation orders were also issued for parts of Exeter.
Yokohl Creek banks are overflowing along Highway 198, east of High Sierra Drive to Yokohl Drive in Exeter. Highway 198 is closed to eastbound traffic at Road 196. These orders are for residents and businesses along 198 at Road 217, Badger Hill Avenue, Avenue 295 and Eaton Road.
A shelter in place order has been issued for areas of Springville and Pine Flat. The order is for homes along Manter Meadow Road in Pine Flat due to a bridge washout. The road is closed at Manter Meadow and Capinero Creek. A bridge failure along Wagner Drive at Harris Road north of Springville caused the shelter in place order, according to Tulare County sheriff's officials.
Residents along Balch Park Road, northeast of Yokohl Valley Drive, should shelter in place due to a damaged bridge on Balch Park Road, just east Yokohl Valley Drive.
Update 4:20 p.m.
More than 2.15 inches of rain has dropped in the last 24 hours, and .75 inches is expected to drop before midnight.
On Saturday, another .85 inches of rain may fall.
"We are doing exactly what we need to do," ahead of these next storms, said Bill Miller, who managed Kaweah Lake's Terminus Dam.
While a break in rain helped stabilize water levels, more rain is expected to start dropping before 5 p.m. Nearby creeks and St. John's are being used to carry water. Ponding basins are holding water as creeks near full.
Visalia city crews continue to monitor creeks and spent much of the week clearing debris to ensure water flowed out of town.
Many roads remain flooded and a portion of Highway 198 west near Spruce Road in Woodlake is closed. A detour is sending traffic into Exeter and Visalia. Avenue 328 and Road 108 (Demaree Street) is also under water and CHP is alerting officers to monitor the intersection north of Visalia.
Others are being asked not to stop near flooding to take pictures, as the roads remain dangerous to pedestrians and drivers. The CHP is responding to Avenue 112 and State Route 65 near Porterville where a half dozen cars parked in flood waters to take pictures.
Update 3:15 p.m.
Kaweah Dam has room to spare ahead of more rain, meaning no emergency dump will be needed, said Bill Miller, an operations manager at Terminus Dam at Lake Kaweah.
"We have room to store water, the gates are closed for now," he said. "We aren't doing an emergency dump, and there's no talks of it."
The news of an emergency dump came from CHP, where their traffic control page showed an emergency dump would be needed and a portion of Highway 198 would be closed.
"This has caused a mass panic," Miller said.
The CHP deleted their posted about 30 minutes after it was posted.
Miller added that while no dump is planned, the dam will continue to release water as needed ahead of storms on the way.
Across the state, flooding has occurred.
One person was killed Friday morning when a roof collapsed at a warehouse in Oakland, possibly due to the heavy rains in the area,CNN reported.
In Watsonville, California, in Santa Cruz County, officials ordered people in low-lying areas to evacuate as rivers and streams rose.
Forecasters say the combination of rain and significant snowmelt could causelife-threatening flooding, mudslides and avalanches.
"Itreally ups the ante," said Bob Larson, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.
Of particular concern, he said, are places between 2,000 and 5,000 feet, including Springville, Three Rivers and places like Lake Tahoe.
- Central Valley could see up to 3 inches of rain before Saturday
- San Francisco could see between 2 and 4 inches of rain.
- Santa Barbara on the central coast could get 1 to 2 inches.
- Los Angeles could getup to an inch.
- Urban flooding is possible in areas from Redding down to Santa Barbara.
Update 2:30 p.m.
California Highway Patrol officers are preparing to close a portion of Highway 198 to allow for an emergency dump of Lake Kaweah Dam, which is filling fast with snow melt and rain.
The highway will be closed in both directions between Lovers Lane and Akers Street. The area is used as an emergency flood plain. According to CHP Traffic Information Page, it's unclear how long the closure will be in place.
CHP officers will be stationed from Shirk Avenue to Lovers Lane as traffic is diverted to city streets. CHP officer Johnny Woodrow said the highway is open now. It's unclear what time the highway will close.
Also on Friday, President Joe Biden approved a federal emergency declaration for California due to the storm and the resultingflooding and landslides,Weather.comsaid, which added that the move paves the way for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Statewide, more than half of California's 58 counties were under a state of emergency Friday due to the storm.
- A swathofCalifornia is under either a winter storm warning or a flood watch, with the weather expected to continue to cause problems most of the weekend.
- Several inches of rain are expected at lower elevations in parts of California, leading to flooding risks in areas already hit hard by snow, such as Lake Tahoe. Snow will impact higher elevations.
- Wind gusts of over 100 mph were reported in the high elevations of the state on Friday, AccuWeather said.
Original story
A significant flood threat is forecast for portions of Tulare County as a storm with milder temperatures drops heavy rain over higher elevations that have been socked by frequent rounds of heavy snow this winter.
Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux has issued several evacuation orders, warnings, and shelter-in-place orders since Thursday. Three Rivers, Springville and Ponderosa are among the communities under immediate threat.
Flash flood warnings have also been issued for cities across the Central Valley including the Visalia and Porterville areas. Due to the increase of the river flow, Boudreaux urged people to stay clear of the roadways.
ThestormwillmostlyclearoutbySundaynight,before another system brings in more rain and high elevationsnow.
Flooding has been reported near Three Rivers and in Woodlake. Streets have flooded in Visalia and various neighborhoods in Tulare. Several inches of rain are expected locally with rivers rising and Lake Kaweah at near capacity.
Evacuation order
- All homes and businesses on North Fork Drive, south of the Baillie Bridge to Sierra Drive (Highway 198);
- All homes and businesses on South Fork Drive, north of Conley Bridge to Sierra Drive;
- All homes and businesses along the Middle Fork, Sierra Drive to the national park boundary, including Mineral King Road.
Boudreaux has also recommended all homes on North Fork Drive, north of the Bailey Bridge and all homes on South Fork Drive, south of the Connelly Bridge to shelter in place.
An evacuation order has also been issued for the Springville area along the south bank of the Tule River.
Homes and businesses from the Lower Rio Vista east of Bridge Drive to east of Pleasant Oak Drive on Highway 190 are under the order. This includes all roads, access roads and areas in between. However, the order doesn't include Pleasant Oak Drive.
Highway 190 will be closed east of Pleasant Oaks Drive on Highway 190.
Temporary Evacuation Points
Temporary evacuation points are safe areas for people who have been displaced due to the storm. The following evacuation points are open for Tulare County residents:
Dinuba Memorial Hall
- 249 S. Alta Ave. in Dinuba
- Hours of Operation: 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Porterville College Gym
- 100 E. College Ave. in Porterville
- Hours of Operation: 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Safety tips around flooded or snowed-in areas:
- Neverdrive intoflood waters, as they aredeeper, colder and faster-moving thantheyappear.
- Do not operate electrical equipment instandingwater.
- Operate generators ONLY in well-ventilatedareas.
- Do not use ovens, ranges or barbeques for homeheating.
