CORTE MADERA, Calif. – Heavy rain and high tides believed to be the most severe in two decades caused flooding in parts of Northern California on Saturday, prompting road closures and rescues of people trapped in cars.
Roadways through a 15-mile (24-kilometer) stretch from the Sausalito area to San Rafael were flooded after a downpour coincided with record-breaking “ King Tides,” Marin County Sheriff's Sgt. Michael Dobbins said.
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Authorities were called to assist when cars got stuck in water as high as 3 and 4 feet (1.1 and 1.2 meters), Dobbins said.
“There is a lot of water in the roadways,” Dobbins said, adding that the tides were reportedly the highest in more than two decades. “Along with heavy rains, it just created the perfect storm for flooding on the streets.”
Authorities in the affected communities, which are north of San Francisco, asked people to stay home until waters recede. Some people kayaked along swamped streets, while others waded through water above their knees.
A flood warning was in place for the San Francisco area until 2 p.m. Saturday and an advisory until 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, and repeated rounds of rain were expected throughout the state on Sunday and Monday.
To the south in Santa Barbara County, roads were closed due to flooding and a key highway was blocked near Goleta due to a series of mudslides. A man died after he was swept into a creek during the storm, the county sheriff’s office said.
King Tides occur when the sun, moon and Earth are in alignment and the moon is in its closest position to the Earth, creating a stronger gravitational pull.