San Jose flood evacuees continue to stay in shelters
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- San Jose's mayor just announced the 14,000 San Jose residents under mandatory evacuations should not expect to go home on Wednesday.
Since they can't return home, they continue to need a place to go and have four options.
RESOURCES: San Jose flood evacuation centers and help info
Evacuation centers are open at Mayfair and Shirakawa Community Centers. Red Cross overnight shelters are open at Evergreen Valley High School and James Lick High School.
The families don't know when they can go home, but at least for now they have a place where they can sleep and eat.
The drive to work off Santa Clara and 26th streets in San Jose was so soggy, it made people think twice about leaving their family and home to go to work.
"Right now, if the water is this close, we're on the opposite side of 25th so if the water is already right here, it's coming that way," San Jose resident Corena Sanchez-San Nicholas said.
Click here to see a map of emergencies in the area.
But for some people, leaving home wasn't a choice. If you live in the Rockspring neighborhood in San Jose, it's likely you are staying at a Red Cross shelter right now, just like the Salas family.
"My mom opened the door. There were cops saying that we had to evacuate," Cindy Salas said.
Salas, her three younger siblings and mom and step-dad left right away. But other family members in the same apartment complex on 20th Street stayed behind, hoping the water would stay away.
PHOTOS: Residents rescued from at least 30 flooded homes in San Jose
There were 267 people that went to the two Red Cross shelters in San Jose, including the one at James Lick High School.
Anthony Alberts and his family came by to donate some essentials like diapers and baby wipes. "We're both teachers and the big part of being a teacher is making sure people around you are being safe and happy and can learn and no one can learn when you don't have a home. So we're trying to help out the best we can," he said.
Red Cross officials say they'll be here as long as they are needed and will work with the city and county to help the evacuees.
MORE: Resources from the Red Cross
Click here for sandbag pick up locations in San Jose.
Click here for more stories about Bay Area storms.
