By The Associated Press
REDDING, Calif. (AP) — Heavy rain and flash flooding soaked roads in northern California, leading to water rescues from vehicles and homes and at least one confirmed death, authorities said Monday.
In Redding, police said they received numerous calls for stranded drivers on Sunday who tried to drive through flooded areas. One motorist died after calling 911 while trapped in their vehicle as it filled up with water, Mayor Mike Littau posted online Monday.
The phone call ended abruptly, the mayor wrote. “Redding police officer swam out into the water, broke the windows and pulled victim to shore. CPR was done but the person did not live.”
The cause of death was under investigation.
Sunday night near Santa Rosa, a driver was rescued from a car that became stuck on a flooded rural road. The person climbed through the car’s sunroof and was brought to safety by rescue swimmers, the Sonoma County sheriff’s office said.
In the mountain pass area of Donner Summit, Truckee firefighters extended a ladder to stranded residents at a house along the South Yuba River, the fire department posted online Sunday. No injuries were reported.
The weather service office in Sacramento had said a series of warm atmospheric rivers would bring moderate to heavy rain to the Valley, foothills, and mountains the week of Christmas.
Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of water vapor that form over an ocean and flow through the sky, transporting moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes.
