SACRAMENTO - A series of atmospheric rivers continues invading California, leading to a levee breach along the San Joaquin River in Merced County, impassable roads in the Sierra Nevada and an evacuation warning.

County officials urged Wilton-area residents to evacuate Saturday afternoon, including livestock.

The Cosumnes River levee is not the only vulnerable levee in the Central Valley. One along Bear Creek in Merced County broke Saturday morning, trapping eight horses and a dog. They required a water rescue.

Hundreds of similar rescues have been performed up and down the state this month as flooding continues, some from vehicles and others among those in homeless camps, but the storms also have taken a deadly toll this month.

Across the state, the Sacramento Bee counted at least 19 people who have died in the storms. That includes two people who died on Highway 99 near Sacramento, and two unhoused people who died when trees fell on their tents amid 70 mph winds in the capital city. The youngest victim, 2-year-old Aeon Tocchini, died Jan. 4 when a tree fell on his family’s home in Sonoma County.

In San Luis Obispo County, rescue teams are looking for a 5-year-old boy who was tragically swept up with flood waters when he was riding in a vehicle Monday. Searches were ongoing, but paused Saturday due to weather, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Story Date: January 16, 2023