Rising waters forced an hourlong closure of Highway 99, prompted numerous evacuations on the hills around Paradise, temporarily stranded 50 vehicles in a canyon, and required a water rescue of three families trapped by rising creek waters in their homes.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Rick Carhart said his agency’s Swiftwater Rescue team had to ferry residents of three homes on Horse Run Lane, a low-lying area at the bottom of the hill below Paradise and near Highway 99.
Some 50 vehicles including a Cal Fire truck also were temporarily marooned on Lower Honey Run Road. Those vehicles were eventually able to make it down the road when the rains eased and water stopped sluicing across the mountain road.
“It just rained a whole lot today,” Carhart said.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office ordered evacuations around 4:15 p.m. for Honey Run Road and all its offroads from Skyway up to the town of Paradise, an extension of previous orders earlier in the afternoon. Evacuations were also ordered for Centerville Road and all its offroads from Honey Run Road up to Harris Road.
The sheriff’s office issued an evacuation warning around 4:15 p.m. for Centerville Road from Harris Hills Road to Nimshew Road, and asked residents to shelter in place.
The sheriff’s office ordered evacuation warnings just before 3 p.m. for areas south of Hegan Lane and north of Highway 162 between the Sacramento River and Highway 99 as well as the Hamlin Canyon and Lower Neal zones, which are areas below Paradise within the perimiter of the Camp Fire.
Several vehicles were reportedly stuck on Honey Run Road earlier Thursday afternoon when a rain squall dumped up to 2 inches on the hillside. The rains subsided Thursday afternoon, but National Weather Service officials said two more sets of storms are expected in the coming days.
Butte County officials are warning people in fire-scarred areas around Paradise to be on alert for debris flows and flash flooding.
The Chico Police Department announced an emergency alert just after 2 p.m. warning residents on Bruce Road from Chico Canyon Road to Skyway of potential flash floods.
Police said there were many flooded roadways and downed trees and power lines in the city due to the storm, but by 3:15 p.m., the department said the rain was easing up and traffic was beginning to clear up.
Sgt. Omar Pena of the Chico Police Department said rain has been coming in waves, causing some localized street flooding, but crews have managed to protect housing in the city.
Pena said the situation in Chico is largely dependent on conditions in the higher elevation Camp Fire zone, but responders will continue working to keep drainage clear.
In the valley below, all lanes of Highway 99 in both directions were closed just after 1 p.m. between Neal Road and Estates Drive, according to the California Department of Transportation. The agency announced Highway 99 was reopened as of 2 p.m.
Caltrans spokeswoman Deanna Shoopman said the flooding on 99 is due to torrential downpours in the area and is not related to mudslides or debris flows from the Camp Fire.
First responders at the closure estimated anywhere from 12 to 18 inches of flood waters, Shoopman said.
Inspectors were on site searching for a potentially clogged drain on the highway, Shoopman said.
California Highway Patrol incident logs reported that a woman driving a rental left her vehicle by the intersection of Honey Run Road and Centerville Road due to floods. In the log, CHP said her car would have to remain where it is until the flooding goes down.
At least two vehicles stopped functioning after drivers attempted to push through flooded roadways near Estates Drive and Highway 99, according to CHP reports.
Sheriff’s officials had said Wednesday that they hoped to begin letting Paradise residents next week back into areas burned in the recent Camp Fire, which destroyed much of the town.
But they warned the rains could delay that process by slowing county and utility company efforts to make the hillsides around Paradise, Concow, Magalia and Pulga safe for permanent reopening.
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