Friday's heavy downpour in Paso Robles resulted in road closures, damage to businesses, and a flood warning for the rushing Salinas River.
Just beneath the 13th Street Bridge, debris and broken tree branches could be seen floating down the river as water levels continued to rise. Paso Robles city leaders say they will be monitoring the area and determine whether to close the bridge.
"It has been really, really bad. We have a lot of homeless people in the riverbed, and there is no help, there is nothing for them." said lifelong Paso Robles resident Nichole Cunningham.
Friday morning, firefighters rescued two people and their dog that were stranded on an island just south of the Niblick Bridge. City leaders say evacuation warnings have also been issued for nearby neighborhoods of the Salinas River.
"Last night around three in the morning I woke up to thunder and lightning and everything in my house blowing over. The neighbor's roof blew off, some roofs are leaking. It is new to us, we don’t know what to do," Cunningham added.
Staff members at the Spa Central Coast off 12th Street say they are also in recovery mode from the rain.
"It sounds like there is going to be some wall damage, some drywall, some wood flooring, our carpets, some of our computers have water on them," said spa manager Deborah Acosta.
She says she returned to the business early Friday morning after she heard that other nearby storefronts also suffered damage. Front desk receptionist Kathryn Moore adds that maintenance crews from Servpro are now working to remove the remaining water and assess the rest of the damage.
"The next step is just to get it all cleaned up and hopefully we haven’t lost too much. But it looks like floors and walls may have to be replaced," she said.
They say as a result of the damage, their employees cannot return to work and all appointments have been canceled as the spa remains closed.
Cunningham, meanwhile, says she is quickly trying to fortify her home for the additional rain that is on the way.
"I went and bought three tarps for the roof because it started to leak. We are monitoring the mud that has been knocking trees over. It took off the awning of our house, so it is pretty bad," she said.
Paso Robles city leaders say if a mandatory evacuation order is put in place, they will set up a local shelter.
Road closures are in place for River Road from Navajo to 13th Street, and Union Road to River Oaks Drive.
