Early storm impact in Santa Cruz

The week’s rain and wind storm is having an early impact in Santa Cruz. One northbound lane was closed on Highway 1 over the San Lorenzo River, Wednesday afternoon, as crews were freeing debris from the river.

Highway Patrol says to watch out for damage from wind and rain, with flooding possible in many different areas around the county.

“If you see a flooded roadway and you don’t personally know how deep it is, you’re taking a huge chance with your safety,” Officer Sam Courtney tells KION.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said this week that it only takes 12 inches of fast-moving water to carry away a small car and 18 to 24 inches for a larger vehicle.

“You want to be careful even going past this part of your wheel (just above the bottom part of the tire) because if you do that you’re kicking water up into your engine compartment,” Courtney said.

On Highway 17, a landslide closed southbound lanes between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m near Glenwood Cut-Off.

“We had pretty heavy rain that ended up letting up. That’s when the slide happened. Luckily the rain has held off. Who knows what will happen when the rain picks up,” CHP Officer Jeff Lutz told KION on the scene.