(BUTTE COUNTY) – The worst fears…realized.

Emergency officials have been weary, watching the skies…and it has happened. Flooding from torrential rains causes havoc in Butte County’s fire-scarred hills and canyons. Rising waters forced an hour-long closure of Highway 99, prompted numerous evacuations on the hills around Paradise, temporarily stranded 50 vehicles in a canyon, and required a water rescue of three families trapped by rising creek waters in their homes.

Officials tell reporters a swift water rescue team had to ferry those residents on Horse Run Lane, a low-lying area at the bottom of the hill below Paradise and near Highway 99. Some 50 vehicles, including a Cal Fire truck also were temporarily marooned on Lower Honey Run Road. Those vehicles were eventually able to make it down when the rains eased. The Butte County Sheriff’s Office ordered a series of evacuations in areas both on the slopes where the Camp Fire hit this month, and in low-lying areas, near Highway 99. Officials say those include Honey Run Road and all its adjacent roads from Skyway to Paradise.

Evacuations were also ordered for Centerville Road and all its feeder routes from Honey Run up to Harris Road. Esquon Road was also ordered to evacuate from Mesa Road to the north end of the street, including parts of Garden Road. Cal Fire officials report some of the flooding along Honey Run Road involved the type of post-fire “debris flows” that had worried county officials – essentially slurries of water, ash, and fire debris. Those have subsided. The sheriff’s office also issued an evacuation warning as well for Centerville Road, from Harris Hills to Nimshew Road.

More evacuation warnings

More evacuation warnings…the Sheriff’s office declared them for areas south of Hegan Lane and north of Highway 162, between the Sacramento River and Highway 99, as well as the Hamlin Canyon and Lower Neal Zones, which are areas below Paradise, within the perimeter of the Camp Fire. Several vehicles were reportedly stuck on Honey Run Road, when a rain squall dumped up to 2 inches on the hillside.

At one point, State Route 70 was closed from the Feather River Bridge to the State Route 89 junction…also State Route 191 was closed from Airport Road to Paradise Dump Road, due to flooding and mudslides in the burn scar area. The Chico Police Department announced an emergency alert, warning residents on Bruce Road, from Chico Canyon Road to Skyway of potential flash floods.

For a time, Neal Road at Oro Chico Hwy was closed…as was Hwy 99 at Durham Dayton Hwy, as well as the Estates Drive intersection…Skyway at Notre Dame Blvd…Midway at Durham Dayton Road…and Honeyrun Rd at Centerville were shut down for a time as well…its best to check the road status in the area if you plan on heading up there.

The news isn’t getting any better as forecasters say two more sets of storms are expected in the coming days. Butte County officials are warning people in fire-scarred areas around Paradise to be on continued alert for debris flows and flash flooding.