Rainy weekend in Merced but no reports of major flooding — yet

The storm that battered the foothills and parts of the state doused Merced, but there were no reports of major flooding through Sunday afternoon.

Close to a half-inch of rain fell through the weekend in Merced, according to William Peterson, meteorologist technician for the National Weather Service in Hanford.

Another three-quarters of an inch could fall through early Monday, he said. “We’re looking at rain off and on for the next several days,” Peterson said. “It’s going to be hit and miss — some will be heavy and some not.”

The storm is shifting south toward Merced County, he said.

In Merced County, Bert Crane Road near Bear Creek was shut down all weekend, said Mike North, a county spokesman. The area is notorious for flooding.

Officials from the county’s Office of Emergency Services, Merced Irrigation District, each city and other leaders have had daily conference calls to go over the state of roads and rivers, he said. “We’re kind of touching bases,” North said. “Just kind of making sure we’re all on the same page.”

The sand bags and sand offered by the county have been replenished at all 10 locations, he said.

The city of Merced saw minor flooding with some neighborhoods seeing backed up gutters and standing water.

All roads in Yosemite Valley remained clear early Sunday and there were no immediate reports of flooding, Yosemite National Park spokeswoman Jamie Richards said at an early-morning news briefing.

She said the Merced River is just below 7 feet and the flood stage is at 10 feet. She said the water increased steadily overnight and is still increasing.

Merced County officials took the weekend’s weather as a chance to urge residents to register for the Merced County Emergency Notification System.

The notification system alerts residents in emergency situations, said Jeremy Rahn, battalion chief and coordinator for Merced County Office of Emergency Services. Residents will be informed of any type of incident or disaster in which evacuation is necessary.

To sign up, residents can go to www.co.merced.ca.us/alert.

Rahn also advises residents to be prepared for emergencies at home by using the resources provided at www.ready.gov.

This story was originally published January 8, 2017 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Rainy weekend in Merced but no reports of major flooding — yet."