SANTA CRUZ >> The last of three storm fronts unloaded on a soaked, wind-torn and surf-battered Santa Cruz County overnight, causing flooding in the communities of Paradise Park and Felton Grove, downing trees and triggering a long day of landslides and debris flows Sunday.

Lanes in both directions of Highway 17 were opened and closed numerous times Sunday as mudslides, accidents and downed trees caused a litany of traffic headaches for Caltrans, California Highway Patrol and drivers.

Entire mountain roads crumbled away as the potent combination of saturated earth and water undermined the asphalt. A wide swath of Nelson Road in Scotts Valley simply washed away after a private backhoe operator accidentally caught the culvert with the teeth of his bucket and upended it, according to local residents.

“Now a 35- to 40-foot section of the road is gone. The pit is maybe 25 feet deep. Ruins Creek is running free through there now. The culvert’s visible a ways downstream now too,” said Scotts Valley resident Edan Cassidy.

For the Monday morning commute, Public Works is coordinating usage of the Mission Springs Conference Center road that will take residents from Nelson Road to Lockhart Gulch Road starting at 7 a.m. The county is planning on placing a temporary bridge across Nelson Road later in the week.

Elsewhere in the mountains, Glenwood Drive and Alba Road sustained similar damage after each lost a lane to erosion Sunday.

Along the lower San Lorenzo River, Paradise Park residents watched for the second time in as many weeks as the river overflowed its banks, poured into backyards and eventually flowed through the foundations of some of lower-elevation residences.

“This is the fastest I’ve ever seen this river move. It’s already flowing under my house. I have maybe 2 feet of clearance before it’s in my living room,” said Paradise Park resident Tammy Grove Sunday morning.

“Highest I’ve ever seen it,” said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Aldo Gonzales as he monitored vulnerable communities in the Santa Cruz Mountains. “That’s a whole lot of water draining.”

As logs, lawn furniture and the occasional plastic bucket zipped past on the surface of the fast-moving, swollen river, the residents stood together in groups and joked or quietly studied the waters.

“Paradise Park is a really wonderful community,” said Gonzales. “We try to help them when we can, but they’re very self-sufficient. They have one of the most cohesive, effective emergency response procedures I’ve ever seen.”

Meanwhile, five miles upriver, Felton Grove residents were also experiencing deja vu.

“We had about 8 inches of water in our house last week,” said Felton Grove resident Andrew Murphy. “We’re hoping to stay dry this time; we’ll see. But hey, at least we’re out of the drought.”

After cresting at approximately 9 a.m., the San Lorenzo Rives receded.

In South County, CHP reported that Green Valley Road had flooded into Pinto Lake. Those waters have also since receded.

However, unlike the flood waters, mudslides continue to wreak havoc throughout the county.

The first major mudslide on Highway 17 blocked both lanes of northbound traffic near Vine Hill Road at 7:30 a.m. Caltrans managed to reopen a lane about two hours later, according to the California Highway Patrol. The right lane was cleared Sunday afternoon. A semi-truck driver slammed into the mudslide and had to be towed away from the scene. A series of subsequent traffic hazards kept the highway moving in fits and starts all day.

Highway 9 was closed by a mudslide at Highlands Park before dawn Sunday, but crews were able to get it reopened by noon. However, a hard closure was put in place after another large mudslide covered both lanes near Glengarry Road.

Major mudslides also closed Lompico Road, Cadillac Road and East Zayante Road. In South County, Highway 152 was closed between Casserly Road and Mount Madonna Road. In addition, numerous private roads were also affected.

“Busy,” said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Aldo Gonzales. “Busy day out there.”

This story was updated to include a clarification.