Residents of the small unincorporated town of Pajaro in Monterey County, California have been forced to evacuate after the Pajaro River's levee was breached due to intense flooding from an atmospheric river storm. First responders and the California National Guard had to make more than 50 rescues while evacuation orders and warnings afflicted over 8,500 people. The surrounding county is expecting more rain and snow, intensifying the damage already wrought.

After noticing boils "bubbling up in the adjacent farmland" late Friday night around 11 p.m., authorities responded quickly as the levee finally gave way 30 minutes later; the failure this morning is estimated to be around 100 feet wide. Numerous water rescues have been conducted by high-water vehicles and the sheriff's diving team, while the National Guard and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's swift-water team joined in to assist. The