The San Joaquin River reached flood stage on Tuesday and may reach the danger level by this weekend. The coming rain and strong winds will put the levees to the test.
Flood stage is still three feet below the top of the levees, and the danger stage is two feet from the top.
But in some parts of San Joaquin County, trailer parks inside the levees have had to evacuate due to rising water levels.
San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services Director Mike Cockrell says as the San Joaquin River rises, more stress is put on the levees.
“We’ve hit this level before, but the main thing is that these levees haven’t been tested since 2011 to see these types of flows,” says Cockrell.
He also says more rain is in the forecast, but of more concern is the gusty winds coming early next week.
“And what that does -- that pushes the water up against the levees and kind of erodes them,” says Cockrell.
Cockrell says with the present dam releases he doesn’t see the water going down; if anything, it will continue to rise.
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