California and Texas were under flood warnings Monday as torrential rains swept across much of the country after a week of deep freezes.
Flash floods inundated homes and toppled cars in San Diego, toppling trees and crowded streets, with videos showing vehicles buried underneath.
Far north, early morning flooding hit the town of Guerneville, near San Francisco, where a stream burst its banks after more than 4 inches of rain fell in 24 hours. The local school district canceled classes for the day.
In the southern end of the state, the weather system unleashed a major blow with the second major rain event of the winter.
Flooding washed away vehicles and caused cars to pile up on top of each other in parts of San Diego.
California and Texas were under flood warnings Monday when a car floated on a flooded road in San Diego
Flooding washed away vehicles and caused cars to pile up on top of each other in parts of San Diego.
Several feet of water flooded the Mountain View, Shelltown and Southcrest neighborhoods, as well as several highways, including Interstate 15.
Over a three-hour period, a whopping 3 inches of rain fell in nearby National City, while 2 inches of rain fell at San Diego International Airport, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
During winter, the region typically receives an average of about 5 cm of rain per month.
The San Diego River was flooded, the National Weather Service said, warning that crossing roads was unsafe.
The city fire department said it rescued at least 24 people from the raging San Diego and Tijuana rivers.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria declared a state of emergency and the city set up shelters for displaced people.
Officers moved people to safety after water rushed into homes in the Spring Valley and Casa de Oro neighborhoods, Lt. San Diego County Sheriff Zee Sanchez.
Eddie Ochoa, a San Diego resident, said it was just raining when he and his sister went to breakfast Monday morning.
Several feet of water flooded the Mountain View, Shelltown and Southcrest neighborhoods, as well as several highways, including Interstate 15
Over a three-hour period, a whopping 3 inches of rain fell in nearby National City, while 2 inches of rain fell at San Diego International Airport
When they returned to their family auto body shop, the entire block was flooded and his sister's parked car had been washed away.
“This all happened within an hour,” Ochoa said, suspecting that the sewers had become clogged. They later found his sister's car about five kilometers further down the road.
“It's never been this bad.” “It's crazy,” he said.
Other residents fled by wading through waist-deep water with their cats and dogs.
“Flooding is pretty common out there,” Sanchez said. The department assisted in a quick water rescue near Santee, he said. No injuries were reported.
The Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management issued an evacuation warning due to possible mud or debris flows near Topanga Canyon, which will be in effect until Tuesday morning.
To the north, an avalanche warning is in effect until Tuesday morning for the backcountry in the mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe, where there may be more than a foot of snow, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center in Truckee, California.
The storm is expected to bring up to 8 inches of snow to the lake's shores and up to 14 inches of snow starting late Monday, with wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour at the highest elevations.
The city fire department said it rescued at least 24 people from the raging San Diego and Tijuana rivers
Other residents fled by wading through waist-deep water with their cats and dogs
Juan Gonzales points to the waterline of a flooded home during a rainstorm
According to fire department spokesman Woody Woodward, firefighters in San Antonio, Texas, were investigating whether five homeless people could have been swept away by the rushing water early Monday morning.
They camped in drainage tunnels next to a highway north of downtown, officials said.
Firefighters searched several locations, including drainage tunnels, using a boat, but found no one.
“No people were found, so I can't confirm whether five people were actually swept away,” Woodward said, adding that firefighters conducted 25 water rescues or investigations from late Sunday night to 8 a.m. Monday morning with no injuries reported came reported.
Some parts of the San Antonio area had received up to five inches of rain since Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service.
Rains also drenched Houston, Dallas and various parts of North and East Texas.
Other parts of the country, like Arkansas, are experiencing freezing rain. Meteorologists warned that parts of the state could be covered in a layer of ice up to half an inch thick by Monday evening.
This triggered an ice storm warning that covered much of the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas as well as the cities of Fayetteville and Fort Smith.
Flooding hit the town of Guerneville north of San Francisco early this morning, where a stream burst its banks after more than 4 inches of rain fell in 24 hours
Some parts of the San Antonio area received up to 5 inches of rain since Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service
A small portion of northeastern Oklahoma was also under an ice storm warning Monday, the National Weather Service said.
The ice, along with winds of up to 20 miles per hour, could cause power outages, the agency said.
Days of subfreezing temperatures have caused water problems in several cities in Arkansas and in Memphis, Tennessee, due to broken pipes and equipment.
Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers responded to more than 400 crashes and at least 600 stranded motorists as of 3:30 p.m. Monday, said Capt. John Hotz of the patrol.
Three of the accidents were fatal, including one involving a vehicle that struck a Missouri Department of Transportation truck in rural northern Missouri.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Transport said the truck driver was uninjured.
Parts of Interstates 70 and 44 were closed at the height of the icing, with officials describing the roads as sheets of ice.
“Just a lot of slip-ups,” said Dallas Thompson, a St. Louis-area police officer.
Damage is shown after a heavy rainstorm caused a small river to overflow into a San Diego neighborhood
Wintry weather and heavy rain across the country were expected to continue this week.
Freezing rain and some snowfall were forecast for parts of the Midwest, the lower Great Lakes region and the Northeast, the National Weather Service said.
Heavy showers and thunderstorms were forecast for parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and the Gulf Coast Tuesday through Thursday, with some areas expected to receive up to 4 to 8 inches of rain through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.