Flash flooding has turned the streets of a California town into raging rivers of rain runoff.
Shocking images show the extent of flooding in Sonora, California on Wednesday and Thursday, when residents of the town near Yosemite National Park fled to higher ground.
‘With the torrential rains today, there are many roads in the county and the city that are flooded,’ the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office warned on Wednesday.
Flash flooding turned roads in Sonora, California into torrential rivers on Wednesday
Water flooded the streets with little warning after heavy rains hit the California town
The sheriff said that flooding knocked out call service to its dispatch center for several hours on Wednesday night.
During that time, emergency 911 calls were being routed to Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office and CHP Merced Office. Service was restored by Thursday morning.
Others have lost power as a result of the flooding.
There are no reports of injuries yet, but many people have experienced property damage.
Officials warned residents not to attempt driving through flooded streets
Floodwaters rage around a business in Sonora on Wednesday after torrential rains
Resident Joe Marshall was shocked to find that his home in the small mountain town had turned into a waterfront property overnight.
‘I cannot believe the water that was going into my basement, I could not believe it, it looked like a river,’ he told KRON-TV.
‘It’s like walking into a snow globe. My washer and dryer’s had been moved, tables and stuff moved from the water that was going into my basement.’
Photos and video show the floodwaters raging into a Save Mart grocery store.
A flood watch is in effect for the areas shaded in green through Thursday evening
The National Weather Service office in Sacramento said on Thursday that a Flood Watch remains in effect for portions of the Motherlode and the Northern San Joaquin Valley through the evening.
‘Showers and thunderstorms could cause additional flooding on already saturated areas,’ the agency warned.
Sonora has a population of 4,900, and as the closest city to Yosemite, it is a popular stop with tourists visiting the park.
California has seen record-breaking rain and snowfall so far this year.
Read more: