Road closures in the east valley due to flooding

Riverside County Emergency Management Department staff deployed to the eastern Coachella Valley communities Saturday morning to assess the damage from Friday's flash floods.

The department said it plans to coordinate with other county departments and agencies to address impacts.

The Coachella Valley was under a flood watch Friday afternoon and early evening. The southeastern part of the valley received two, and in some communities, nearly three inches of rain. As flooded areas have subsided, agencies can now see the damage from the flooding. Several roadways and exit ramps were completely washed away.

The county posted a list of roads closed due to flooding:

• Hammond Road in Mecca, from Grant Street to Avenue 68
• 72nd Avenue in North Shore, westerly to Sea View Drive
• Fillmore Street in Thermal, from Avenue 52 to Avenue 54
• Pierce Street in Oasis, from Avenue 66 to Harrison Street
• Harrison Street in Oasis, from Avenue 70 to Avenue 81
• Johnson Street in Oasis, from Avenue 81 to Avenue 82

The Riverside County Emergency Management Department is coordinating with Riverside County Fire Department/CAL FIRE, the California Department of Transportation, the Riverside County Transportation Department, the Coachella Valley Water District, and the Imperial Irrigation District to the damage as well as any safety concerns.

“The eastern Coachella Valley was hit hard by the flash flooding, and the images of the roads being flooded and parts of roads missing are devastating considering what recently just happened with Hurricane Hilary,” said Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. “We are working to quickly address these impacts on our communities which have long needed more and better infrastructure. I want to thank our first responders for being out yesterday to keep our communities safe during the storms.”