Evacuation orders issued for Alpaugh and Allensworth in Tulare County

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — Evacuation orders have been issued Sunday morning for Alpaugh and Allensworth areas in Tulare County.

Sheriff Boudreaux with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office issued the orders due to impassable roads creating the possibility of residents becoming stranded.

The evacuation orders are for all homes, businesses, roads, avenues, and access roads in the Alpaugh and Allensworth areas.

[RELATED] Hwy. 43 closed south of Corcoran due to flooding

The current evacuation route is:

• Take Avenue 54 westbound to Virginia Avenue to 6th Avenue, take 6th Avenue northbound to Utica Avenue, Utica Avenue westbound to Interstate 5.

Northbound 6th Avenue is closed at Quebec, with other roadways becoming impacted by flood water. 6th Avenue southbound to Garces Highway is also covered in water.

Those in the Allensworth area:

• Take Palmer Avenue eastbound to Highway 43, Highway 43 southbound to Garces Highway, Garces Highway eastbound to Highway 99 northbound.

[RELATED] Hundreds work to help repair weather damage in Tulare County

Sheriff Boudreaux asks residents to follow these general safety tips around flooded or snowed-in areas:

• Stay clear of the waterways due to increased river flows.
• Never drive into flood waters, as they are deeper, colder and faster moving than they appear
• Do not operate electrical equipment in standing water.

The Red Cross has set up several shelters across Tulare County.

Some of those shelters include the Porterville College Gym and Exeter Veterans Memorial Building.

Temporary evacuation points have also been set up at Ivanhoe Memorial Hall and the Tipton Memorial Building.

You can also find a list of other Red Cross shelters still open to the public, below:

• Kern County: Kern Valley High School (3340 Erskine Creek Rd, Lake Isabella, CA 93240)
• Kern County: 11th Street Community Center (200 W. 11th Street, Delano 93215)
• Mono County: Mammoth Middle School (1600 Meridian Blvd, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546)
• Tulare County: Porterville College Gym (100 E College Ave, Porterville, CA 93257)
• Tulare County: Exeter Veterans Memorial Building (324 N Kaweah Ave, Exeter, CA 93221)