Evacuation Orders Lifted For Most Of Monterey County Following Destructive Storms

SALINAS (BCN) -- Evacuation orders were lifted Monday in areas of Monterey County after stormy weather last week resulted in debris flows that caused damage, including washing out a section of state Highway 1.

The evacuation orders were for about 7,900 people ahead of rainy and windy weather between last Tuesday and Thursday that resulted in mudslides and downed trees and power lines in areas around the county. Much of the damage was near the burn scar from the Dolan Fire, which started last August and burned about 125,000 acres.

Among the damage left behind was a 150-foot chasm on Highway 1 at mile post 30.2 near Big Sur. Due to that damage, the highway will only be open to local residents, with a traffic checkpoint staffed 24 hours a day to allow them to return home to assess any damage, county officials said.

Caltrans had shut down a 44-mile stretch of Highway 1 ahead of last week's storms, and is continuing to clear debris piles and repair damage at about 60 locations of the highway besides the site where the chasm opened up.

There is no timeline for when the highway will reopen, according to Caltrans.

Evacuation orders remain in effect Monday afternoon for Monterey County in the area of Prewitt Ridge. People can find more information about evacuation zones at https://montereyco.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html? id=8bf14faf5680431a8c961274ced2245f.

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