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'Worse as it's ever been': Cameron Park residents describe flood damage at homes, evacuations

Deputies went door to door alerting people to the flooding concerns.

'Worse as it's ever been': Cameron Park residents describe flood damage at homes, evacuations

Deputies went door to door alerting people to the flooding concerns.

HAS SEEN FAST-MOVING FLOOD WATERS AS WELL. WE GO LIVE NOW TO KCRA 3’S MICHELLE BANDUR IN CAMERON PARK. MICHELLE, WHAT IS THE LATEST? REPORTER: WE ARE ACTUALLY INSIDE THE EVACUATION ZONE IN CAMERON PARK. I AM TOLD BY SERVES DEPUTIES THERE IS NEARLY 100 50 PEOPLE UNDER MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDERS. THERE ARE FAMILY MEMBERS SHOWING UP AT THIS HOME BRINGING SANDBAGS. I TALKED TO THE HOMEOWNER EARLIER. HE TOLD ME DAN WATER IN AT LEAST WE ROOMS INSIDE THE HOUSE. THIS AREA IS WITHOUT POWER. PG&E CREWS ARE HERE WORKING TO RESTORE POWER. NEIGHBORS TELL ME THERE WAS WATER PRESSURE MORE THAN HALF A FOOT, BRINGING IN DEBRIS, BREAKING DOWN FENCES BECAUSE THE WATER SO POWERFUL. WE ARE BY DEER CREEK. I WANT TO SHOW YOU HOW FAST THE WATER IS MOVING OVER HERE. YOU CAN SEE THE WATER HAD RUSHED THROUGH HERE WITH ALL OF THE DEBRIS. YOU CAN SEE NOW THE WATER IS FLOWING SO QUICKLY THROUGH DEER CREEK HERE. THEY ARE TELLING ME THE WATER HAS RECEDED, BUT AGAIN, I BACK YOU WISH AND ORDERS ARE UNDERWAY. -- EVACUATION ORDERS ARE UNDERWAY. HOURS BEFORE EL DORADO COUNTY AUTHORITIES ORDERED EVACUATIONS, SOME CAMERON PARK RESIDENTS ALREADY MADE THE DECISION TO LEAVE. THE WATER SURROUNDS TAMMY GRAHAM’S HOME ON CHELSEA ROAD. SHE GRABBED HER THREE CATS AND HER MOTHER. >> SHE’S BEDRIDDEN AND ON OXYGEN AND WE ARE GOING TO A DIFFERENT HOTEL BECAUSE THEY ARE BOOKED SOLID THERE WE CANT CHECK IN UNTIL THREE SO GOING TO MY MOTHER IN LAW’S. REPORTER: KNOLLWOOD DRIVE IS TURNING INTO A RAGING RIVER TOO, WITH FLOOD WATERS RUSHING DOWN THE HILL. MIKE KREMPER HOPES HIS SANDBAGS WILL HOLD AND KEEP THE WATER OUT OF HIS HOUSE. HIS NEIGHBOR WASN’T AS LUCKY, WITH WATER ALREADY GETTING INTO THE GARAGE. THIS IS FOR SEEN HERE WITH THE FLOODING AND THE RUSHING WATERS GOING RIGHT ACROSS THIS DRIVEWAY. >> WE’RE IN A WORLD OF HURT AROUND HERE AND THE COUNTY NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. REPORTER: THE EVACUATION AREA IS BETWEEN CAMERON PARK LAKE AND PIPER COURT AND SALIDA WAY AND BONANZA DRIVE. THERE ARE SANDBAG STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, AND THERE EVACUATION CENTERS. THE PLACERVILLE LIBRARY IS NOW CLOSED. CAMERON PARK CST IS OPEN AS A SHELTER. WE TALKED TO RESIDENTS ON THIS BLOCK. THEY ARE STAYING PUT. THEY WANT TO KEEP AN EYE ON THINGS AND WILL NOT LEAVE AT THIS POINT. BRITTANY: BEFORE YOU GO, IT SOUNDS LIKE RESIDENTS ARE REALLY FRUSTRATED. BUT ARE THEY USE TO THIS? REPORTER: THEY SAY IT IS UNUSUAL TO HAVE MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDERS FOR THEIR AREA. THEY HAVE NOT SEEN WATER LIKE THIS BEFORE. THEY HAVE NOT SEEN IT COME UP SO QUICKLY. THE ONE RESIDENT WE TALKED TO SAID SHE HAS NOT SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN THE SIX YEARS SHE HAS LIVED THERE. OTHER PEOPLE TOLD ME THIS IS WORSE THAN THE FLOODING FR
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'Worse as it's ever been': Cameron Park residents describe flood damage at homes, evacuations

Deputies went door to door alerting people to the flooding concerns.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services ordered mandatory evacuations for areas in Cameron Park on Saturday, affecting nearly 150 people.Deputies went door to door, alerting people to the flooding concerns. Linda Newton said floodwaters rushed through her yard, breaking her fence and leaving a muddy mess inside her garage. “It started raining, but the water kept getting deeper and deeper,” said Newton. “I’ve been here about six years and it’s worse as it’s ever been.”Newton didn’t get any water inside her home, but her neighbors did. She estimates the water rose about six inches to her doorstep. “It broke the back fence. It’s amazing how strong it is, the flowing water,” Newton said.Newton was among hundreds of Cameron Park residents who lost power. Pacific Gas and Electric crews were busy working to restore power. Most of it came back by 7:00 p.m.Despite the evacuation orders, Newton is staying put.“We just want to keep an eye on things and have a generator and if it gets bad, we will leave,” Newton said.Hours before the authorities ordered the evacuations, some Cameron Park residents already made the decision to leave. “The water is all up under our house,” Tammy Graham said.The water surrounded her home on Chelsea Drive. She grabbed her three cats and her mother. “She’s bedridden and on oxygen and we are going to a different hotel because they are booked solid,” she said.Tearfully Graham said the water is destroying her property.The sheriff’s office said it’s not concerned the levee to Cameron Park Lake will be breached. The water did go over the drainage ditch. The El Dorado Irrigation District had a water main break that raised the lake level. Crews fixed the break.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services ordered mandatory evacuations for areas in Cameron Park on Saturday, affecting nearly 150 people.

Deputies went door to door, alerting people to the flooding concerns.

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Linda Newton said floodwaters rushed through her yard, breaking her fence and leaving a muddy mess inside her garage.

“It started raining, but the water kept getting deeper and deeper,” said Newton. “I’ve been here about six years and it’s worse as it’s ever been.”

Newton didn’t get any water inside her home, but her neighbors did. She estimates the water rose about six inches to her doorstep.

“It broke the back fence. It’s amazing how strong it is, the flowing water,” Newton said.

Newton was among hundreds of Cameron Park residents who lost power. Pacific Gas and Electric crews were busy working to restore power. Most of it came back by 7:00 p.m.

Despite the evacuation orders, Newton is staying put.

“We just want to keep an eye on things and have a generator and if it gets bad, we will leave,” Newton said.

Hours before the authorities ordered the evacuations, some Cameron Park residents already made the decision to leave.

“The water is all up under our house,” Tammy Graham said.

The water surrounded her home on Chelsea Drive. She grabbed her three cats and her mother.

“She’s bedridden and on oxygen and we are going to a different hotel because they are booked solid,” she said.

Tearfully Graham said the water is destroying her property.

The sheriff’s office said it’s not concerned the levee to Cameron Park Lake will be breached. The water did go over the drainage ditch. The El Dorado Irrigation District had a water main break that raised the lake level. Crews fixed the break.