Hot weather, melting snow and large amounts of water flowing into Pine Flat Dam has caused the Kings River to rush stronger, thus flooding certain areas of Fresno County and raising concerns of flooding in other spots.
The Kings River has flooded a portion of the Riverbend Mobile Home Park located at 17604 E. Kings Canyon Road in Sanger. This entire property has 39 homes and 56 people.
Due to the flooding, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office has issued mandatory evacuation notices for people living in the rear portion of the property. This partial closure impacts approximately 12 homes and 15 people. A mandatory evacuation means there are significant safety concerns and it’s recommended that residents leave the area. Residents are not required by law to leave, but it’s important to note that by staying, the person assumes all responsibility for their own safety. Once a person does leave, they will not be allowed to return to their property until the mandatory evacuation is lifted.
The front portion of the Riverbend Mobile Home Park is under an evacuation warning. This means a potential threat to life and property from an emergency incident is imminent. Residents should be making preparations to leave their homes at a moment’s notice. The Sheriff’s Office tries to issue these warnings as early as possible so residents will have time to remove their pets, livestock, large boats, RVs and any other personal effects in an orderly, unrushed manner. However, because flooding can be unpredictable, the time frame between an evacuation warning and a mandatory evacuation can change quickly, so residents must be prepared to go at any time. People living in an area under an evacuation warning are still allowed to go in and out of the property. Sheriff’s deputies are constantly checking the property for any changes in flood conditions.
The American Red Cross has established an evacuation shelter for these residents. It is located at Reedley High School, 740 W. North Ave. in Reedley. The Central California Animal Disaster Team (CCADT) has also setup an emergency shelter here for household animals. Anyone needing help with evacuating their animals can contact CCADT at (559) 433-9663.
The Sheriff’s Office will continue to monitor all areas of the county for possible flood situations. The public is encouraged to report any potential flooding they become aware of by calling dispatchers at (559) 600-3111.
The Kings River, from Pine Flat Dam to the Tulare and Kings County lines, continues to be closed to all recreational users. The river is currently running at 13,400 cubic feet per second (cfs). As a comparison, when the river closure announcement was made on May 24th, it was running at 8,373 cfs. The Sheriff’s Office is strictly enforcing this closure and violators will be subject to citations. This infraction comes with a fine of $225.00.
The public can check the hourly flows from Pine Flat Dam by visiting http://www.spk-wc.usace.army.mil/fcgi-bin/hourly.py?report=pnf
