President Joe Biden approved a federal state of emergency declaration for 34 counties, including Monterey and Santa Cruz, following the atmospheric river that hit California on Thursday and Friday.
"I think the storm was bad. It could have been worse," said Jason Hoppin, a Santa Cruz County spokesperson.
Flooding washed out Main street in the town of Soquel, isolating more than 800 residents, and damaging a water line that served about 40 customers of Soquel Creek Water District.
“The break (in the road) is significant," he said. "There's pretty much a rushing stream in the middle of it, so it's really not safe to cross by foot."
Hoppin said the county is working to repair the road, although the exact timeline is uncertain. The earliest the road could reopen is tomorrow, he said.
Concerns also remain along the Pajaro river, which is forecasted to rise to nearly 30 feet. Hoppin said the river doesn't typically flood at that height. But the aging levee, which protects the neighboring communities from flood waters, is at risk of failure.
"We start to get a little worried because that levee is old," he said. "And so we will put eyes on that levee, we will surveil it, we will patrol it and make sure that there are no signs of trouble."
The Monterey County community of Pajaro, just south of the Pajaro river, is also under an evacuation order. Evacuation orders have been lifted for most areas of Santa Cruz County, except for portions of Watsonville.
Tens of thousands of customers on the Monterey Peninsula and Carmel Valley remain without power. Light rain is expected through the weekend, with another atmospheric river reaching the central coast on Monday.