Merced County still on flood watch as more rain in forecast

Area officials continue to watch for flooding around Merced County, and showers are expected on and off throughout the week.

Merced has seen about 3 inches of rain in February, which is twice as much as is seen to date in the average year, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford.

Merced and the eastern end of the county are more likely to see additional showers this week than Los Banos and the West Side, according to meteorologist Cindy Bean.

“There’s quite a bit of rain to the north that may move down,” she said Monday.

Forecasts show scattered showers through early Wednesday, she said, adding that Thursday and Friday are expected to be dry. There is a 40 percent to 50 percent chance that storm clouds will return Saturday.

“That system will be a lighter rain,” she said. “We do have a flood watch that is in effect from Fresno northward.”

Merced County emergency crews are continuing to remove debris from waterways, repair levees when necessary and prepare sandbags to mitigate the impact of flooding, according to spokesman Mike North.

“We have eyes on all of our waterways,” he said. “We have close eyes on Merced River where it feeds into San Joaquin (River).”

This monitoring effort includes the Eastside Bypass of the San Joaquin River and releases from Don Pedro Reservoir. The Merced, Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers converge near the northwestern edge of the county and have the potential to cause flooding in communities in the Stevinson area, North said.

Officials working with the county include those with the state National Guard and members of the Swiftwater Rescue Team from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, North said.

Wind gusts have been recorded from 25 to 40 mph, according to the National Weather Service. High winds coupled with saturated soils mean a potential for toppled trees and power poles, authorities said.

There is a winter storm watch in the Sierra Nevada.

This story was originally published February 20, 2017 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Merced County still on flood watch as more rain in forecast."