McFarland survives worst of flooding disaster | News

“People decided that they wanted to go back home, or to see family or friends,” Red Cross site supervisor Emma Empey said. “They didn’t want to stay in the shelter.”

Empey and other workers joked that the largest turnout was probably for the complimentary breakfast. Because afterward, people went home.

After closing that shelter Sunday night, the Red Cross set up at the 11th Avenue Community Center in Delano on Monday morning. As of 11 a.m., Empey said they hadn’t received anyone yet, but that workers would remain on standby, at least through Wednesday.

On Saturday, Kern County officials issued an evacuation order for McFarland, Pond and other small, low-lying farming towns in the Central Valley that have endured repeated flooding from the California storms since January.

The beleaguered state has, since the start of winter, been battered by a brutal set of 10 atmospheric rivers that have resulted in approximately 24.5 trillions gallons of precipitation.

“The last three weeks, the county of Kern has been under a lot of inclement weather,” said Kern County Director of Emergency Services Aaron Duncan, who is also the county fire chief.

Yet by Sunday morning, locals in McFarland said the situation was nominal. Sunny and 70 degrees, the water previously flooding streets and inundating fields had receded.

“I was impressed,” said Kern County District 4 Supervisor David Couch. “A small city like that, with little resources, can struggle.”

Hope Sam, a store manager in McFarland, said she and her family left for the weekend but stayed for some of the storm.

“This side — nothing happened,” Sam said, pointing to the west. She said employees at her other store to the east, on Saint Lucas Street, had called her during the storms, saying there was a lot of rain, but the store didn’t flood.

“The water was up above the curb, and onto the sidewalk at one point,” said Yovani Topete, a cashier at Ranchito Market. “But the store was fine.”

Topete and others said the two worst streets were East Sherwood Avenue and Industrial Street, which run perpendicular and bound the southern half of east McFarland.

At Gospel Lighthouse United, which sits at the corner of the two streets, Pastor Miguel Rincon said he spent his weekend at his church lining the perimeter with sandbags.

“We were definitely scared it would flood,” Rincon said.

Rincon and others remember the flood nearly 30 years ago, which brought waist-level flooding into the east side of town, and $50,000 in damages to the bottom half of his church. Measuring his hand out to four feet against the church pew, he said everything below that was under water.

“It had to be cut and taken out,” Rincon said. “So when we saw that it was going to flood the area, we of course went to get sandbags.”

To the east runs the Poso Creek. Flood control dams on Poso and other major creeks near the Kern communities reached capacity early Saturday morning. Some overflowed, and levees broke, officials said, with runoff sending water and debris gushing through cow fields and into towns.

Officials gave several reasons for the success in McFarland. Sandbags were made readily available, and officials quickly pumped water as it came into town. Historically, the east side of McFarland floods, while the west, guarded by Highway 99, splits the town and acts as a berm.

And while some streets were inundated with flood water, homes went largely unscathed. By midday, it was easy to drive through the streets of McFarland, according to Aaron Resendez, the superintendent of schools for McFarland Unified School District.

“The city really got out in front of this,” Resendez said. “I can say with certainty I was impressed with this response.”

Yet forecasters warned at a news conference Monday of continued trouble for the Central Valley as another atmospheric river was expected to start that night and continue into Wednesday. Deputy Fire Chief Billy Steers said the evacuation orders remain in effect, as there is still a significant amount of water flowing through Poso Creek. And with another inch or two expected, there is still possibility for flooding.

“These storms aren’t over,” Duncan said. “We do have another atmospheric river coming in (Tuesday) night, so please, I’m asking everyone to stay vigilant and prepared.”

In the coming days, officials said, they will begin assessing the damage caused by the floods. And while McFarland went without major disaster, other areas were not so lucky, with losses inflicted likely requiring tens of thousands of dollars to repair and considerable rebuilding.

On Sunday, with the signing of an emergency proclamation by Kern County Chief Administrative Officer Ryan Alsop, the county will begin an assessment of damages in McFarland, Pond and other areas affected by the floods. 

Along with previously signed federal and state proclamations, the local one allows the county to qualify for state reimbursements that typically cover costs for overtime staffing, equipment and damages to infrastructure, like roads.

“Which we believe, given the events, is quite considerable,” Alsop said.