Pamela and Patrick Cerruti empty coins from Pajaro Coin Laundry as floodwaters surround machines in the community of Pajaro in Monterey County, California on March 14, 2023. "We lost it all. That's half a million dollars of equipment," said Pamela. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
WATSONVILLE, CA — Nearly 27,000 people were ordered to evacuate their homes on Tuesday after a new atmospheric river leaves severe flooding and landslide risks. Not to mention, more than 330,000 utility customers faced power outages due to high-speed wind gusts, as reports of fallen trees and blown out windows piled high.
AP reported that amid these dangerous conditions, workers had to drive truckloads of rocks and boulders to plug a broken levee that ruptured last Friday on the Pajaro River in the central coast. Meanwhile, windows of a high-rise in San Francisco's financial district were no match for the strong winds, as glass rained down below forcing more evacuations.
While the initial aftermath of Tuesday's storm left moderate rain in northern and central California, the National Weather Service said most of the precipitation will shift southward through the state as the storm progresses faster than expected.
Find out what's happening in Watsonvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
See photos showing the devastating aftermath of the latest atmospheric river in California below:
Find out what's happening in Watsonvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Esteban Sepulveda holds his dog Milo while leaving his home in Pajaro Valley, California on March 12, 2023. Wet, miserable weather continued across huge swaths of California on Sunday as an atmospheric river that caused major flooding flowed eastward, and as a new system threatens the region with another onslaught of rain, snow and gusting winds as soon as Monday night. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group via AP)Water flows through a levee breach near the Aromas community in Monterey County, California. The break caused widespread flooding in the Pajaro community nearby. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)A crew works at repairing a levee rupture at the Pajaro River in Monterey County, California on Tuesday. Forecasters warned of more flooding, potentially damaging winds and difficult travel conditions on mountain highways as a new atmospheric river pushed into swamped California early Tuesday. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)A crew uses heavy machinery to repair a levee rupture at the Pajaro River in Monterey County, California. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)A pedestrian carries an umbrella while walking in San Francisco on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)Pamela Cerruti carries clothing from Pajaro Coin Laundry as floodwaters surround machines in the community of Pajaro in Monterey County, California on Tuesday. "We lost it all. That's half a million dollars of equipment," said Pamela who added that they plan to rebuild. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)A truck drives through floodwaters in the community of Pajaro in Monterey County, California on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)An emergency responder drives through floodwaters in the community of Pajaro in Monterey County, California on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)A sheriff's deputy checks floodwater levels while driving through the community of Pajaro in Monterey County, California on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)Farm machinery drives through floodwaters in the community of Pajaro in Monterey County, California on Monday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)Floodwaters surround farm machinery in the community of Pajaro in Monterey County, California on Monday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)Sebastopol Public Works personnel work on removing a fallen pine tree at Willard Libby Park, in Sebastopol, California on Tuesday. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat via AP)Sonoma County Fire District firefighters and a sheriff's deputy pull people in the back of the boat and the driver of a van whose vehicle stalled out in high water on Armstrong Woods Road in Guerneville, California on Tuesday. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP)Members of a tree crew take a look at damage to a utility pole after a tree fell across Orchard St. in Santa Rosa on Tuesday. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat via AP)
