By Abdullahi Lukman
Heavy rain combined with unusually high tides flooded parts of the San Francisco Bay Area over the weekend, forcing road closures and prompting emergency rescues as water levels reached near-record highs.
Authorities said several northern California counties remained under a flood watch, with up to three inches of additional rain possible through Monday night.
The National Weather Service warned that saturated ground from weeks of intermittent rain had increased the risk of flooding, while mountain
areas were expected to receive up to a foot of snow.
In San Francisco, a king tide pushed bay waters to 2.56 feet on Saturday, the highest level recorded since 1998.
Meteorologists described the surge as close to a regional record, with coastal flooding expected to continue into Monday afternoon.
Emergency crews responded to multiple incidents across the Bay Area, including the rescue of a person clinging to a rope in floodwaters in San Francisco.
In Marin County, authorities assisted motorists stranded in water up to four feet deep, while residents reported streets submerged across several counties, including Marin, Sonoma, Alameda, San Mateo and San Francisco.
Similar impacts were reported elsewhere in California. In Southern California, heavy rainfall caused flooding and mudslides, forcing evacuations from a homeless shelter in San Diego.
In Santa Barbara County, more than four inches of rain fell over two days, leading to airport runway flooding, flight cancellations and the temporary closure of a major highway.
One man died after being swept into a creek during the storm.
Forecasters said rain is expected to continue across much of the state through Tuesday, with weather experts warning that parts of California are experiencing one of the wettest starts to winter on record.
