The Fresno County officials have issued a disaster declaration over concerns about a weakened levee in the western part of the county. County officials say the declaration is a precautionary step.
A portion of a levee near Tranquility has been badly damaged by heavy rains and high flows in the San Joaquin River. The levee stopped leaking last night but officials fear the situation could worsen.
Crews are currently trying to fix the damage to avoid a collapse, which could potentially flood homes and farms in Tranquility, Mendota, and Firebaugh.
Fresno County Administrative Officer Jean Rousseau says the declaration opens the county, those cities, and the Tranquility Irrigation District up to state and federal funds should the situation get worse or the levee break.
“There is a good chance that there is going to be more damage and more severe damage in the upcoming months. So we want to get out ahead of this,” Rousseau says.
Part of the problem with fixing the damaged levee is its remote location and soft earth surrounding it.
Fresno County Emergency Manager Kenneth Austin says heavy equipment has been getting stuck…
“One of the plans they were trying to enact last week, they even got an excavator stuck. And so it was out of commission for a few days until they were able to dig around it and get it out. So it is very difficult to get supplies into and out of the area,” Austin says.
The declaration will still need to be approved by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors at their next meeting next week.
