Carmel residents prep for possible flooding

Commuters and homeowners are getting ready for another big storm still heading our way, especially for the possibility of flooding.

One neighborhood in Carmel is especially close to the Carmel River, and that means residents have seen flooding before and they say it takes a team effort to stop it from happening again.

“Last storm season, the drain backed up out here, and so it flooded both sides of the street, came halfway up our driveway, so we sandbagged the garage,” said Ryan Peterson.

For Peterson and his family, lots of rain is always nerve-racking, but they have lived in their house for seven years now, so they know how to prepare for storms.

“Whenever we know a storm is coming, we’ll pay close attention to the weather forecasts,” said Peterson. “If they project a lot of rain, we’ll start watching the river levels online.”

The nearby Carmel River is often problematic for their neighborhood and has flooded heavily before.

“This is the lowest spot in the neighborhood, so we’re always watching,” said Peterson.

But resident here all pitch in, even clearing out storm drains themselves. They also go to a nearby hotel to watch how high the river is getting.

Flooded streets can also be a big problem for drivers. The National Weather Service says 12 inches of fast-moving water can carry away a small car.

“Definitely, I’ll be cautious just because I don’t want to create a hazard with splashing water or blinding other drivers,” said Sam Martinez, a Monterey resident.

Some words of caution for drivers: if the road looks flooded, just turn around. It is all part of knowing what to do and being prepared as more wet weather hits the Central Coast.

“And then we’ll just watch the levels of the river here and up river too, make sure they’re staying below flood,” said Peterson.

The bright spot for homeowners in that neighborhood is that even if it does flood, they are all covered by insurance.