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A section of the Pajaro River levee broke on Saturday, March 11th, leading to widespread flooding throughout the region. The flooding was so extensive that over 8,500 residents were forced to evacuate their homes and leave everything behind. As Pajaro continued to flood, local farmers discovered a solution. They got in their pickup trucks, and took off to try and plug the levee themselves.
Video footage shared by one of the farmers on Twitter shows a pickup truck being driven into the break in the levee. In the video, viewers are able to see two trucks blocking a substantial amount of water from flowing towards the town. Central Valley farmer Cannon Micheal said that dirt will likely be piled onto the trucks for additional support.
"I have never seen this type of #flood control measure before! Here is how some farmers deal with a breach in the Tulare Lake bottom. I assume they will pile some additional dirt on."
Despite finding a temporary solution, flood waters continue to wreak havoc across the region. While some wait months to get back into their homes as crisis persists, there are ways that fellow Californians can help. Lookout Santa Cruz mentioned that donations can be made to the Santa Cruz County Disaster Fund through their website. You can also call the Santa Cruz foundation at 831-662-2000. The Monterey County Storm Relief fund is also accepting donations through their website as the levee break continues to effect countless residents.