San Benito County area gas stations have experienced a swarm of
drivers fleeing the coastline with concerns about prospects for a
tsunami after Japan’s 8.9-magnitude earthquake.
San Benito County area gas stations have experienced a swarm of drivers fleeing the coastline with concerns about prospects for a tsunami after Japan’s 8.9-magnitude earthquake.
Casa de Fruta’s Chevron station on Highway 152 outside of Hollister started experiencing increased traffic at about 3 a.m., said co-owner Gene Zanger. At peak times, there were around 120 vehicles at the location at one time, he said. He estimated somewhere between 500 and 600 customers had passed through or stayed at the family-oriented tourist spot.
Zanger and other gas station owners from the area noted how most of the traffic had been from the Watsonville area.
“What we’re being told is either they heard a report on Telemundo or they got notification from the schools that the schools were being closed over there,” said Zanger, noting how it caused concern among those residents.
Some of the groups stopped and stayed at the multi-use landmark along the corridor between the coastal areas and the valley. Others filled up and went on their way, “over to relatives in the valley,” Zanger said.
“There are still people out there with their families,” Zanger said. “They’re riding the train and the carousel and just kind of enjoying the day.”
At the Quik Stop along San Juan Road on Hollister’s west side, cashier Edgar Vasquez said an unusual number of customers from the Watsonville area showed up starting around 5 a.m., many in vans. They expressed their concern about a “tidal wave,” while most of them had left the station by 11 a.m.
“It’s the busiest day I’ve had in a while,” Vasquez said.
In San Juan Bautista at the Valero station on Muckelemi Street, it was “very crowded this morning,” said cashier Jeu Rodriguez.
“I think most were from Watsonville, Gilroy – some were from Salinas,” Rodriguez said. “They were headed out toward Los Banos, toward Fresno, toward that area. They were really concerned about that.”
Rodriguez said the station’s petroleum provider also called the business pointing out the busier customer traffic elsewhere in the region and asking the employee to check gas readings to see if Valero might need a refueling today.
“The gas stations are getting flooded right now,” he said.
While many drivers came and went in Hollister, there were many who also drove through Gilroy.
“Everybody we know is from Watsonville,” said Junior Castillo as he sat on a bench outside of Denny’s on Leavesley Road. “The whole town is here.”
As early as 9 a.m. this morning folks had flocked to Gilroy and were camping out at gas stations, the Wal-Mart parking lot, In-n-Out, Su Casa and the Gilroy Premium Outlets.
Many described the scene in Watsonville as “chaotic,” saying Hecker Pass and Highway 129 were filled with bumper-to-bumper traffic.
“As soon as everybody heard, the gas stations were jammed with cars,” said a woman from the Rivas family who came over at 6:30 a.m. “Everything was very, very slow.”
Brenda Prado, who also came over from Watsonville, said the roads were heavily congested and filled with errant drivers.
“People weren’t even making stops,” she said. “They were just running lights.”
Look back for more on this story.
