Storms floods causes major damage Mariposa County, minor issues in Merced County
Heavy rains over the past two days have wreaked havoc on Mariposa County, damaging homes, cutting emergency phone lines and closing roads, some of which were completely wiped out by flooding, according to authorities assessing the damage Friday morning.
"We have crews assessing the damage and we are updating the (Mariposa County) website with the most current conditions and information," said Kristie Mitchell, public information officer for the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office. Mitchell said the total extent of the damage remained unclear Friday morning.
The Mariposa County Sheriff's Office also continued to search for a woman who went missing "as a result of the storms" Thursday, according to public information officer Kristie Mitchell.
Few details were released about the missing woman.
TDS phone lines, including 9-1-1 services, were down for several homes in the Coulterville and Greeley Hill areas, according to the Sheriff's Office .Officials were urge affected residents to contact another number, 209-878-0702, with their cell phones in case of an emergency. Deputies also were stationed nearby the affected areas.
The Sheriff's Office is directing residents and those traveling in the county to its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mariposacountysheriff/ for the latest updated information.
Merced County was largely unscathed by the torrents, Merced County Sheriff's Deputy Daryl Allen said. Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke surveyed the county via helicopter Friday morning.
"There are no major areas of concern," Allen said, noting that there were some small spots of flooding across the county.
Eight families in the Planada area were on standby for evacuation in case of flooding, but they were not given the order to evacuate, Allen said.
A stretch of Highway 59 that was shut down Thursday and Friday, Allen said.
Several roads have closed in Mariposa and Merced Counties, according to both sheriff's offices and Caltrans.
Mariposa County
- Highway 49 is closed at Bagby
- Highway 140 is open
- Leonard Crossing is closed
- Tip Top and Triangle is flooded
- Jerseydale Road at Triangle Road is closed
- Smith Road and Highway 140 is flooded
- Sherlock Road is flooded
- Indian Peak Riad and Hirsch Road bridge is closed
- Hornitos Road at McSwain Lake Bridge is closed
- Hornitos Road between Confier Creek Bridge and Bear Creek Bridge is closed
- Hunters Valley Road a mile from Bear Valley Road is flooded
- Sherlock Road is flooded
- Old Toll Road is flooded and impassable
- Mt. Bullion Cutoff is closed
- Eighth Street is closed
- Old Highway at Ownes Creek suffered shoulder damage
- School House Road is closed
- Highway 49 at Highway 120 is closed
- Highway 49 from Moccasin to Bear Valley Road is closed
- Multiple roads off Highway 49 north in north Mariposa County are closed
- Priest Coluterville is washed out at Jackass Creek
- Laredo Road is flooded
- Grainte Springs at Penon Blanco is closed
- Granite Springs to Narcisco Way is open
- Highway 132 from Granite Springs to Piney Road is closed
- Ranchito at Golfito is flooded
- Chapulin Road is closed
- La Grange subdivision is flooded
- Highway 140 entrance to Yosemite National Park that was closed for a rockslide inside the park was opened after 10 a.m.
- Highway 140 has one-way traffic control from Cathey's Valley Park to Trower Park and from Miles Creek Bridge to the start of the passing lane, until 5 p.m.
Merced County
- Highway 59 from Reilly Road to Sandy Mush Road is closed
- Highway 59 near Snelling is closed
This story was originally published March 23, 2018 at 3:09 PM with the headline "Storms floods causes major damage Mariposa County, minor issues in Merced County."