San Jose residents return home to find flood destruction
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- It's still an awful scene in San Jose. There's deep flood water in some places. Some homes will be red-tagged meaning uninhabitable. People have returned to the Rockspring neighborhood even though there's still an evacuation order--to salvage things.
RESOURCES: San Jose flood evacuation info and how to help
Where the water has receded, a thick layer of mud is left behind people determined to check on their flooded homes trudged through it--their most precious belongings in tow.
"It's bad, I'm kinda speechless," said Jordge Farias, who helped his uncle's family salvage what they can from their garage. "I have little cousins, they're pretty upset that they're not gonna be able to come back home," he added.
His uncle was able to get his cars out ahead of the flood. So many others weren't as lucky.
The director of the San Jose Office of Emergency Services says crews are systematically going through the flooded areas to determine who can safely return. "There are areas where the flood waters will not naturally recede and we're going to have to do pumping operations," said Dave Sykes.
In the William Street area, Bryan Rodriguez showed ABC7 News the damage done to his home. "I don't even know what that belongs to," he said referring to an object floating in the water. "It just ended up here in the restroom."
The downstairs is slick with mud. Furniture is broken. Everything touched by flood water is ruined.
"Four O'Clock I would say there was water to our window sills, the bottom of our sills," said Rodriguez. "Then by 9 p.m., water to there, that part of our garage doors."
The water line is at least six-feet high. Bryan and his husband are staying with friends and trying to be optimistic.
"We can move forward," said Bryan. "That's the only way to go."
PHOTOS: Flood waters rip through San Jose causing damage, evacuations
