Home » 12 People Rescued After Kirker Creek Causes Flooding in Pittsburg

12 People Rescued After Kirker Creek Causes Flooding in Pittsburg

by CC News
Pittsburg Flooding

On Monday, an apartment complex and 19 homes were impacted by a rush of water in Kirker Creek that prompted residents to be assisted out of the area.

Pittsburg police responded at 1:00 am due to concerns of rising water in the roadway and by 1:34 am a four-plex was asked to evacuate due to water concerns. Police evacuated 4 residents, however, by 3:40 am Contra Costa County Fire responded with their rescue boat to help with additional evacuations for potentially 19 homes being impacted by the flooding.  Ultimately, 12 residents were boated out by firefighters.

According to Pittsburg Police Lt. Terry, these were not mandatory evacuations, but residents were given the option given the water was up to their door steps and depths ranged anywhere from 6-inches to 40-inches.

Terry said most residents decided to stay because the water did not breach their home, but others left as a precaution. No injuries were reported. 4 residents took advantage of the shelter at the senior center for a couple hours while others mostly went to family members home–most had returned home by Monday afternoon.

This was the second time Pittsburg Police responded to the area as on Saturday, flooding also occurred which prompted police to shut down the roadway.

On Saturday, within Kirker Creek, a culvert became blocked which caused a large sinkhole, it then reversed fed through sewer system and pulled at Habor and Ventura. As the creek rose so did the street with 4-ft of standing water and crest into the front yards of both sides of the street.

As of Monday afternoon, the neighborhood is still blocked off due to standing water in the street per Pittsburg Police social media.

Pittsburg Evacuation and Storm Update

PITTSBURG, CALIFORNIA – On Monday, January 16, 2023, shortly after midnight, Public Works staff was alerted and on scene due to rising water levels on Harbor Street at Stoneman Avenue. The water continued to rise throughout the course of the night, causing extreme overflow of the Kirker Creek and the affected areas along Harbor Street between Yosemite Drive and the Good Shephard Church.

Harbor Street’s water level increased substantially to the point that Con Fire issued an evacuation notice at approximately 4:44 am to 19 residential units along Harbor Street at Ventura Avenue and 3 apartments within the Fox Creek Apartment Complex were directly impacted due to this incident. The City of Pittsburg opened an emergency shelter, located at the Pittsburg Senior Center (300 Presidio Lane), for those impacted families.

Public Works staff and Pittsburg Police Department assisted in getting residents safely evacuated from their homes. Of the 19 impacted homes, 12 residents evacuated their homes via boat, 4 residents came to the emergency shelter and were later met by relatives, while others elected to wait the storm out with family members.

Public Works crews are onsite through the week to monitor and address water levels to ensure public safety. With the current break in the weather, the water in Kirker Creek is expected to recede below maximum capacity.

We want to remind residents to avoid this area and please be mindful of traffic cones and delineators to stay safe. The area is closed to both pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic until further notice.


For more information on Monday’s flooding and road conditions, click here

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