Acampo — Acampo’s Arbor Mobile Home Park has been ordered to evacuate for a week after rising water levels trapped people in their homes.
The threat of flooding at Arbor Mobile Home Park has created a new problem of structurally unsafe and potentially contaminated homes, according to county emergency officials.
As such, county officials said the evacuation order remains in place on Saturday. However, the county will lift the order once the crew can enter the home and assess whether it is safe to live in.
That’s scheduled for Monday, the county emergency services agency confirmed.
Power crews are also expected to restore electricity to the complex on Monday.
“Yes, preferably on Monday. Check all the houses, then come back and give them permission to move,” said neighbor Julian Lopez.
But as the flood waters receded, many residents were confused, thinking they were allowed to go home on Saturday.
Lopez was one of several neighbors who came to buy supplies from their home on Saturday.
“When we left the house, we were told we couldn’t go back inside,” Lopez said.
The misinformation disrupted an already stressed family and forced them to flee their home on Saturday. Several neighbors have heard from the complex’s manager and other residents that the water has receded and they can return home on Saturday.
“It’s very frustrating,” said Michele Pérez, who was hopeful that he would be able to go home.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Deputy guards the entrance to the neighborhood throughout the day and is escorted by officers so that residents can quickly enter to grab supplies from their homes.
“My daughter has to get medicine, so the sheriff took her to a mobile home,” Perez said.
About 30 evacuees from the mobile home park and 12 pets have been staying at the Red Cross shelter at the Lodi Grape Festival grounds for a week, waiting for all to clear up and go home.
“Everything has to be inspected and approved before we can do it, but there is no official information on how long that will take. So we can’t make a plan. That’s the hardest part. Here. Everyone in the world has the same frustrations,” said Brad Hendrickson. .
Brad, his wife, and two dogs are asleep at their shelter in Lodi for seven days. He and his fellow Acampo refugees say they are left with few answers.
“There is a real lack of information flow,” Hendrickson said. I don’t know if they will give it to me,” he said.
County officials say Monday is the earliest people can go home, but only if the foundations of their homes are deemed safe. Refugees have to wait.
Resident Austin Jackson said, “Many of these homes out front are pretty well destroyed and covered in fecal water. rice field.
He is one of a dozen families who have chosen not to follow evacuation orders and have been stuck at home for a week.
“They told us that if we left, we wouldn’t be able to come back. Absolutely,” Jackson said.
He says they’ve had a hard time so far and plan to stay. They have relied on food and have relied on supplies brought by their neighbors.
“We’re kind of just hanging around. Right now, we’re using generators to keep us afloat, but the lack of power is quite a struggle.”
CBS13 attempted to speak with Arbor Mobile Home Park managers on Saturday about the future course of action for residents. Call service has answered our call, but management has yet to be reached for comment as the office is closed until Monday.