Kings River mandatory evacuation order lifted for country club area, not Riverland

A mandatory evacuation order for the Kings River Golf and County Club area was downgraded to a voluntary evacuation advisory Tuesday, said Carrie Monteiro, Tulare County’s spokeswoman.

The advisory affects the area of Avenue 393 to Avenue 408 and Road 28 to Road 33. Areas west of the Kings River, the area bordered by Kings River Drive, Cypress Avenue, Bonander Avenue and Highway 201 remain under voluntary evacuation, Monteiro said.

The Riverland Resort area remains underwater and under mandatory evacuation order.

Evacuation orders will remain until river flows return to normal levels and permanent repairs can be made to riverbanks, Monteiro said.

Tulare County Supervisor Steve Worthley said 10 to 12 homes on the golf course were flooded to some degree.

The main breach in the riverbank was fully fixed Tuesday afternoon.

About 180 large bags of rocks were dropped into the break by a helicopter, he said.

Several inmate crews have been at work placing sandbags to protect homes and other structures since Saturday, he said.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a state of emergency that was declared June 23, he said.

Although 90 homes had to be evacuated Friday night and electricity was shut off, electricity was restored Sunday and many people returned home, residents said.

Meanwhile, the Tulare County Public Health Department is advising residents to be aware that floodwater near homes may contain sewage. The department is also advising residents who experienced power outages due to the flooding to throw away spoiled food, including frozen food.

This story was originally published June 27, 2017 at 7:24 PM with the headline "Kings River mandatory evacuation order lifted for country club area, not Riverland."