Monterey County officials are bracing for flooding along the Salinas River that could cut off road access to the Monterey Peninsula starting Thursday afternoon.
"Some of the roadways are going to be closed and you could be stuck on one side or the other," Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
Roads near the Salinas River that could be affected include state Highway 68, River Road, Reservation Road, Blanco Road, and possibly state Highway 1, officials said.
Evacuation orders are already in effect for low-lying areas along the Salinas River, from north of Highway 68 to the Pacific Ocean.
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The river could flood as early as noon Thursday at Highway 68 at Spreckles, and Highway 1 north of Marina, according to an advisory from Monterey city officials Wednesday.
The routes could remain flooded until Sunday.
"All residents and workers are urged to plan ahead," the city said in a weather update at about 8 p.m. Wednesday. "Anyone who is on the peninsula when flooding occurs will not be able to leave. Anyone who is not on the peninsula will not be able to enter."
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County officials said they were confident that bridges will weather the flooding river, but surface streets and low-lying areas are expected to be impacted.
"Residents both on the peninsula and in the Salinas area should expect to be cut off for two to three days," according to an advisory from the county. Residents are urged to stay off roads and postpone travel.
Evacuation maps for Monterey County are at https://bit.ly/3Za0Xc0 and information from the county about the storm is at https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/administrative-office/office-of-emergency-services/incidents/2023-winter-storm-atmospheric-river.
More information from the city of Monterey is available at monterey.org/stormcenter.
