January already one of the wettest in history for Merced County, weather service says

While the skies above Merced look substantially clearer than they have in recent days, the evidence of the historic rains that pummeled the region remain.

Case in point, work continues to repair paths and areas along Bear Creek where the ground has given way.

Meanwhile, residents in Merced and Planada are still in the middle of cleaning up their waterlogged homes, many of which were heavily damaged after flood waters tore through their communities.

National Weather Service forecasters say this January is already the fifth-wettest on record for Merced County. The region has seen a whopping 6.49 inches of rain, according to National Weather Service data.

The wettest January on record for Merced County was 1909, when the region reported 8 inches of rain, according to JP Kalb, meteorologist for the National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley office in Hanford.

The Merced area saw .73 inches of rain Tuesday and 2.52 inches for the past week.

Kalb said forecasters expect the Merced region to see dry weather for most of Wednesday, with a possibility of rain Wednesday evening — probably less than a tenth of an inch.

Dry weather returns Thursday into the weekend. Dense fog is also a possibility during the coming days.

The water at Merced’s Bear Creek was recorded to be a depth of 17.7 feet as of Tuesday morning, well below the creek’s flood stage threshhold of 23 feet.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can apply for disaster assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA App, according to the FEMA website.

Disaster relief resources

On Sunday, President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in Merced, Sacramento and Santa Cruz counties..

That means the federal government is making disaster assistance available to the state of California to supplement state, local and tribal recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides.

The aid can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

How to help

According to Merced County Spokesperson Mike North, the county shelters are currently fully supplied and not accepting physical donations at this time, although evacuees that have moved from the shelter and back to their homes are in need of donations.

“There’s been a huge outpouring of support,” said North about the community’s efforts to assist flooding victims in the county.

“The community really stepped up to the plate and provided them with a lot of what they need to help get their lives back on track.”

Those who wish to submit monetary donations can do so through the United Way of Merced County by calling (209) 383-4242 or through the United Way of Merced’s website www.unitedwaymerced.org.

Janet Kasper, director of community engagement and outreach at United Way Merced County, said people can write a note on the website if they want to specify which specific community they want their donation to go toward.

She said some people have stopped by the Merced Senior Center, 755 W 15th St., and supported monetarily by cash or check.

Kasper said when submitting a monetary donation by check, people can write in the memo line if you want the money to go to a specific community affected by the flood.

“One hundred percent of what is donated of the flood victims is going to be going directly to their needs,” said Kasper.

Kasper said the United Way is receiving lists of requested items form multiple nonprofits assisting residents in affected areas.

Monetary donations will be used to purchase the specific items requested by the people who need them. Kasper said the United Way of Merced County has been working the City of Merced, Merced County, Planada in Action, the Red Cross and others.

“Together we have more of a variety as opposed to each one of the non-profits doing everything by themselves,” said Kasper.

Where donations can be dropped off

Physical donations can be dropped off at the Merced City Senior Center at 755 W. 15th Street in Merced. The donation center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Items that are needed include cleaning supplies, mops, brooms, laundry detergent, gloves and trash bags. Other items needed include water, both canned and dry foods, paper towels and toilet paper, new bed sheets in the packaging, new blankets with tags, and new towels with tags.

The donation center does not accept used clothing, blankets, towels, pillows or sheets. Another item Kasper said is needed are double size flat sheets, to be used as a top or bottom sheet for bedding.

The items donated at the Merced Senior Center will be disturbed by the non profits. This cuts down on the number of people going into the affected areas.

Monetary donations can also be made to the Red Cross by calling 1-800-HELP-NOW or by visiting the Red Cross website.

Anyone looking for additional information can call the United Way of Merced County at (209) 383-4242.

For information about donating items, visit the City of Merced’s website at cityofmerced.org. Merced County also has a Flood Hotline at (209) 385-7563.

An Amazon smile charity list is also available online where people can purchase items and Amazon will deliver those items to the United Way office. The items will then be distributed to those in need of the items in the surrounding communities affected by the flooding.

This story was originally published January 17, 2023 at 1:02 PM.