RivCo Agencies Respond To Eastern Coachella Valley Flooding

COACHELLA, CA — Riverside County Emergency Management Department staff were deployed to the eastern Coachella Valley communities Saturday to conduct assessments of damage from Friday's flash floods.

Coachella Valley was under a flood watch Friday afternoon and early evening, and the southeastern part of the valley received two, and in some communities, nearly three inches of rain, according to the office of Fourth District Supervisor Victor Manuel Perez.

The County Transportation Department posted a list of new road closures for county roads affected by flooding, all of which were in the eastern Coachella Valley. These closures were listed as:

-- Road in Mecca, from Grant Street to Avenue 68;

-- 72nd Avenue in North Shore, westerly to Sea View Drive;

-- Fillmore Street in Thermal, from Avenue 52 to Avenue 54;

-- Pierce Street in Oasis, from Avenue 66 to Harrison Street;

-- Harrison Street in Oasis, from Avenue 70 to Avenue 81; and

-- Johnson Street in Oasis, from Avenue 81 to Avenue 82.

The Riverside County Emergency Management Department was coordinating with Riverside County Fire Department, the California Department of Transportation, the Riverside County Transportation Department, the Coachella Valley Water District and the Imperial Irrigation District to address known and reported damage as well as any safety concerns, according to Perez's office.

"The eastern Coachella Valley was hit hard by the flash flooding and the images of the roads being flooded and parts of roads missing are devastating considering what recently just happened with Hurricane Hilary," said Perez.

"We are working to quickly address these impacts on our communities which have long needed more and better infrastructure. I want to thank our first responders for being out yesterday to keep our communities safe during the storms," he said.

Riverside County reminded the public to use extreme caution on roadways, do not attempt to cross flooded roadways and avoid flooded areas.

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