Sacramento County Levee Breach Patched For Now

SOUTH SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CBS13) — It was a race against the rising water and failing levees for homeowners to try and save decades of belongings.

"It could get anywhere from 5 to 7 feet high in this house," said Jack Mello who lives on a pear farm off Twin Cities Road.

High water on Lost Slough inched up to the top of the levee threatening more than a dozen homes and acres of farmlands. Officials urged homeowners to evacuate.

Emergency crews worked to repair the breach just east of Interstate 5, and by nightfall, were able to plug it, though they're continuing to monitor it in case a break happens.

"If it goes, it's going to take out a few homes and we want to make sure that the residents are safe," said Matt Robinson with the Department of Water Resources.

A levee break on the Cosumnes River early Thursday flooded folks south of Elk Grove.

"There's two houses, one of them is flooded and the other isn't," said Jesus Vargas.

It's the first major storm for the 14 year old. He and his father rushed to load up their horses and move to higher ground.

"The concern isn't so much the local rain, it's he rain that's falling all around us and the waters that are coming down the rivers," said Chief Tracey Hansen with Cosumnes Fire Department.

It's a valid fear for those living behind levees.

"When you have a big rain storm like this hitting the system all at once it's a test for the system, and in some cases the levees have failed, but fortunately they have been failing in farmlands and residents really haven't been too much threatened except for today," said Robinson.

For long-time farmers like Jack, this recent storm brings back bad memories from a storm in 1986.

"We lost everything we had so we thought, we better be safe than sorry," he said.