Visalia Times-Delta | Tulare Advance Register

Tulare County road closures, flood damage: What you should know about incoming storm

Sheyanne N Romero, Visalia Times-Delta

March 14, 2023 at 2:09 PM·6 min read

As another atmospheric river moves into California, first responders and Tulare County’s Resource Management Agency (RMA), Roads Division staff are prepared to respond.

A flood advisory is in place until 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, but the lasting effects may be felt all week. Minor flooding is possible in low-lying or areas with poor drainage. Water covering roadways could be caused by excessive rainfall.

This system will bring "moderate to heavy rainfall" to much of the valley, foothills, and mountains, according to National Weather Service. Even with less rain in the forecast, the increase precipitation and snowfall totals continue to impact already extremely saturated soils.

"Throughout the county, stories reverberate of rising water, stranded people, impassible roads, neighbors helping neighbors, and brave rescue," RMA officials stated. "As the community braces for another round of storms, RMA Roads Crews are ready to respond."

In anticipation of the storm, the Army Corps of Engineers has planned a release of water from Lake Kaweah at the Terminus Dam due to an influx of water in the lake which will impact waterways throughout Visalia. Releasing water will likely include a release over the spillway, which is not a dam failure, but a planned operation, city officials said.

The spillway at Lake Success is already operational.

The city of Visalia has also declared a state of emergency.

“We are preparing for different scenarios that could take place over the next 48 hours and are working with local agencies to ensure that our city is ready,” Visalia Fire Chief Dan Griswold said. “With the Declaration of a Local Emergency, we advise people to wait for official communication and know that we are working on plans and services."

Debris carried by storm waters in the North Fork Tulare River on Monday, March 13, 2023 along Highway 190.

Flood damage

Last week's storm proved to be everything predicted and more.

Before noon on Friday, Springville and Three Rivers were flooded and evacuations were underway.

CalTrans closed portions of highways 190 and 198 due to flooding. Many residents were stranded due to unsafe road and bridge conditions.

The Tule River Reservation was completely isolated due to a nearly complete washout of Reservation Road. Repairs were made to restore access to and from the reservation.

"Crews continued to go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the public remained safe in ever changing conditions," RMA officials stated. "They worked around the clock to evaluate and closed roadways that were impassible due to flood conditions."

Crews cleared mudflows, rockslides, downed trees and debris throughout the county. More than 100 county roads were signed with “road closed,” representing hundreds of miles of flooded roadway.

By Friday afternoon, so many roads were flooded that crews were running out of signs. As the rains subsided over the weekend, crews worked to restore access to heavily damaged roads.

Those experiencing flood damage are encouraged to fill out an online damage report. Additional resources are available with a full list on the county’s emergencies website.

What to do if your home has flood damage?

Residents whose homes have water intrusion damage need to be aware that flood water may contain sewage and other containments.

Flood waters and standing waters pose many health risks, including infectious diseases and chemical hazards, county officials said. Residents affected by power outages due to flooding, should throw away spoiled food, this includes food that may have thawed and re-frozen.

Residents should also move and throw away anything that can't be washed and disinfected due to possible contamination. Children and pets should stay away from water damage until clean-up is complete.

Current road closures

Ivanhoe/Woodlake/Exeter/Visalia/Tulare

Lort Drive east of Road 196
Dry Creek north of Highway 216 to Homer Ranch, north of M6
Yokhol Drive between Highway 198 and Rocky Hill Drive
Spruce at Marinette
Road 152 from Avenue 224 to Highway 137
Road 196 at Highway 198 to Avenue 300
Avenue 226 from Road 228 to Road 240
Avenue 304 at Road 212
Avenue 300 at Road 212
Avenue 312 between Road 196 and Road 204
Road 224 is closed between Avenue 304 and Avenue 306

Three Rivers

“Airport” bridge on North Fork
“Connelly” bridge on South Fork
Mineral King RD (beyond Hammond Drive)

Pixley/Earlimart/Richgrove

Road 88 from Avenue 56 to Avenue 88
Road 144 from Avenue 24 to Avenue 40
Road 152 from Avenue 24 to Avenue 40
Road 156 from Avenue 32 to Avenue 40
Road 184 from Avenue 24 to Avenue 32

Porterville/Terra Bella/Strathmore

Fir at Foothill
Fir at Hillcrest
Reservation Road at Chimney Road
Road 176 from Avenue 56 to Avenue 96
Road 188 between Avenue 242 and Avenue 256
Road 192 from Avenue 24 to Avenue 40
Road 192 from Avenue 96 to Avenue 112
Road 208 from Avenue 112 to Avenue 88
Road 216 at Ave 256
Road 224 from Avenue 96 to Avenue 112
Road 232 from Avenue 56 to D205
Road 236 from Avenue 60 to Avenue 80
Road 236 from Ave 196 to Ave 200
Road 248 from Avenue 108 to Avenue 120
Road 256 from Avenue 108 to Avenue 116
Road 256 from Avenue 196 to Avenue 204
Road 272 from Avenue 120 south to the End
Avenue 12 from State Route 65 to Road 224
Avenue 88 from Road 164 to Road 184
Avenue 112 from Road 224 to Road 208
Avenue 120 from Road 236 to Road 244
Avenue 184 at Diagonal 242
Avenue 184 at Orange Belt Drive
Avenue 190 at Road 236
Avenue 194 at Diagonal 242
Avenue 194 at Orange Belt Drive
Avenue 196 at Road 256
D205 from Road 232 to Avenue 32
Road 264 (Old Stage Rd) is closed at Deer Creek between Ave 116 and Ave 108

Springville

Bridge over Tule River on Upper Globe Drive
Tule river Bridge over lower globe drive in Springville is closed.
Harris Road at Balch Park Road
Balch Park Road at Milo Bridge
Bear Creek Road at M-239
Road 296 from Mountain Road 120 to Mountain Road 137
M-120 from Road 272 to Road 296
M-137 from Success Valley Road to State Route 190
M-137 from Rd. 296 to M-160
M-276 (Blue Ridge) from M-270 to end
M-296 (Balch Park) at M-276 (Blue Ridge)

Camp Nelson

Highway 190 between 1.6 miles east of Pierpoint and 9.6 miles east of Pierpoint

Dinuba

Boyd Drive north of Road 168 1/2
Avenue 360 from Road 52 to Road 76
Avenue 360 from Road 80 to Road 100
Avenue 368 from Road 84
Avenue 416 at Road 168 1/2

Cutler Orosi

Road 108 from Avenue 368 to Avenue 384
Road 144 from Avenue 416 to Avenue 416
Avenue 404 at Highway 245

Ponderosa/Pine Flat/ California Hot Springs/Johnsondale

Mountain Road 50 from Mile Post 10.5 to Mountain Road 99
Mountain Road 99 from the Tulare County Line to Kern River/M50
Mountain Road 160 from Mountain Road 137 to State Route 190
Mountain Road 137 from Road 284 to Reservation Road
Manter Meadows at Mountain Road 56
Manter Meadow Road at Capinero creek in Pine Flat

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: What you should know about incoming storm

Associated Press
Mastermind of foiled Hong Kong bomb plot to target police is jailed for nearly 24 years
The mastermind behind a foiled bomb plot during anti-government protests in Hong Kong in 2019 has been jailed for nearly 24 years in the city's first case brought under a United Nations anti-terrorism law. Ng Chi-hung, who had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit the bombing of prescribed objects under the anti-terror law and possession of arms or ammunition with intent to endanger life, was sentenced to 23 years and 10 months by a Hong Kong court on Thursday. The seven are not well-known activists in the semi-autonomous Chinese city’s pro-democracy movement, but their case has drawn attention because the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance was invoked.
Reuters
Biden to bid farewell at APEC and G20 under Trump's shadow
President Joe Biden heads to South America on Thursday for a curtain call with global leaders after over 50 years in U.S. politics, but the man he tried and failed to keep from returning to power is likely to be the focus of many meetings: incoming U.S. President Donald Trump. Biden will hold private meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the heads of Japan, South Korea and Brazil during the summits of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, in Peru and the Group of 20 leading economies, or G20, in Brazil. The meetings over six days are not expected to yield any major new agreements, senior Biden administration officials said, even as they are likely to touch on trade, security and global alliances.
Reuters
Analysis-Crypto industry pushes for policy sea change after Trump victory
The crypto industry is pushing for an ambitious raft of policies that would promote the widespread adoption of digital assets and considering who best to promote them, as they anticipate a cryptocurrency-friendly regime under President-elect Donald Trump. While crypto companies were already anticipating a lighter touch with a new administration, Donald Trump's decisive victory and a projected Republican sweep of Congress pave the way for a dramatic and lasting crypto policy overhaul. Trump courted crypto cash with promises to be a "crypto president," and industry executives say he now has a strong mandate to deliver.
AFP
London mayor says Trump attacks due to his ethnicity and religion
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has accused Donald Trump of repeatedly criticising him because of his "ethnicity" and Muslim faith, in comments likely to renew his long-running feud with the US president-elect.Trump then accused Khan -- the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital when he was first elected in 2016 -- of doing a "very bad job on terrorism" and called him a "stone cold loser" and "very dumb".
Yahoo Finance
The 'DOGE' jokes are easy, but Musk's new side hustle is Tesla's biggest advantage yet: Morning Brief
Taking Musk's government efficiency department as a joke underestimates what he might do with this newfound power.
AFP
Iran tells UN nuclear chief it won't negotiate under 'intimidation'
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that Iran will not negotiate under "intimidation" as he held crunch talks with the UN nuclear chief weeks before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office.The IAEA chief described his meeting with Araghchi as "indispensable" in a post on X. Araghchi was Iran's chief negotiator in talks that led to a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, abandoned three years later by Trump.
Associated Press
A Russian man stands treason trial on charges he filmed military equipment for Ukraine
A Russian man faced trial on Thursday on charges of high treason for a video he had allegedly sent to Ukraine's security services, the latest in a growing series of espionage cases amid the fighting in Ukraine. The Volgograd District Court began hearing a new case against Nikita Zhuravel, who is currently serving a 3.5-year sentence for publicly burning a Quran in front of a mosque. The new charges against Zhuravel are based on allegations that he filmed a trainload of military equipment and warplanes in 2023 and sent the video to a representative of Ukraine’s security agency.
AFP
Uganda TikToker convicted for insulting president
A Ugandan court has convicted a 21-year-old content creator for calling for the public flogging of President Yoweri Museveni on video-sharing platform TikTok, a state prosecutor said on Thursday. In July, another 21-year-old TikToker was sentenced to six years in prison for insulting Museveni, who has ruled Uganda with an iron fist since he toppled president Milton Obote in 1986.
CNN
Thousands evacuated as parts of Spain hit with nearly a month’s rainfall in one hour
Severe thunderstorms and torrential rain have once again battered coastal Spain, causing flooding and evacuations just two weeks after the country experienced deadly flooding in Valencia and other nearby communities.
AFP
Thousands flee as Typhoon Usagi hits north Philippines
Typhoon Usagi slammed into the Philippines' already disaster-ravaged north on Thursday, as authorities rushed to evacuate thousands of people from flood-prone areas.- 'Forced evacuations' - Elsewhere in Cagayan, officials worked in driving rain Thursday to evacuate residents along the coasts and on the banks of already swollen rivers.
AFP
As Trump returns, African exporters torn between hope and horror
Citrus growers in South Africa are among the businesses most nervous that duty- and quota-free exports to the United States could be scrapped next year when Donald Trump returns to the White House.Another South African citrus company told AFP on condition of anonymity that if AGOA were not renewed, it would "kill" their business, which employed more than 3,000 people and exported an average of 350 containers of sorbet products per year to the United States.
AFP
Burberry launches turnaround plan as posts loss
Troubled British fashion house Burberry on Thursday announced cost-cutting plans after posting a loss, with the global luxury sector pressured by weak Chinese demand.China is the world's biggest spender in the luxury sector, accounting for half of global sales.
USA TODAY
Man is 'not dead anymore' after long battle with IRS, which mistakenly labeled him deceased
Phil Anderson found out his social security number was switched with his late daughter’s, and the government had labeled him deceased.
Reuters
Trump’s victory could ease regulatory path for Musk’s robotaxi, but hurdles remain
As Tesla’s electric-vehicle sales have flattened this year, CEO Elon Musk has increasingly staked the company’s future on his vision for self-driving robotaxis, despite the massive technological and regulatory obstacles in delivering them. Now Musk - as one of President-elect Donald Trump's biggest backers - may have the influence to help break through those regulatory roadblocks. Tesla currently faces a diverse landscape of state driverless-vehicle laws that Musk blasted in an Oct. 23 earnings call, calling it “incredibly painful to do it state-by-state.”
Associated Press
Pakistan court rejects plea for acquittal from former premier Imran Khan and his wife in graft case
A Pakistani court on Thursday rejected a plea for acquittal from former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been held in prison for more than a year in a graft case, a defense lawyer said. The court order was another blow to Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, who were accused of retaining and selling state gifts in violation of government rules when he was in power. The couple will be formally indicted in the case on Nov. 18 when the next court hearing is held.
Associated Press
AP PHOTOS: Thick smog shrouds Asian cities
Thick smog shrouded New Delhi and other cities around South and Southeast Asia as air pollution levels soared Thursday. Air pollution in the region worsens particularly in winter when the burning of crop residue in agricultural areas coincides with cooler temperatures that trap the smoke. The smoke is blown into cities, where there are more people and where auto emissions further add to the pollution.
Associated Press
Head of UN's nuclear watchdog visits Iran as Mideast wars and Trump's return raise worries
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned Thursday that the “space for negotiation and diplomacy ... is getting smaller” over Iran's advancing atomic program as wars in the Mideast rage on and as President Donald Trump will return to the White House. Rafael Mariano Grossi of the IAEA was visiting Tehran in an effort to restore his inspectors' access to Iran's program and answer still-outstanding questions over it, as he has on previous trips with limited success since Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the Islamic Republic's nuclear deal with world powers.
USA TODAY
Could Trump's win tank Biden's stances guns, transgender care with Supreme Court?
A new Trump administration could change course on Supreme Court cases over transgender care for minors and untraceable "ghost guns."
Politico
Eric Adams’ pal in crosshairs of law enforcement got hefty pay raise
Jesse Hamilton’s pay bump went well beyond a standard increase given to all managerial employees.
CNN
Protecting Trump in a second administration presents unprecedented security challenges
As Donald Trump conducts a free-wheeling transition from his Mar-a-Lago estate, drawing flocks of business moguls, contractors, foreign dignitaries and anyone looking for jobs in the new administration, the federal agencies charged with protecting the president-elect and his communications face a daunting task.

Flood damage

What to do if your home has flood damage?

Current road closures

Latest Stories