Stadiums flooded, streets turned to mud: Extraordinary aerial photos that show full impact of California's devastating storms

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Bridge over troubling water: A train crosses above the flooded Mission Center Road in Mission Valley


- Motorists stranded in cars after rivers burst their banks

- Mudslides feared in mountainous areas

- State prepares for seventh straight day of torrential rain

- Cause is freak 'atmospheric river' that occurs once over few hundred years

- One-third of state's annual average rainfall pours down in a week


California is waking this morning to find the Golden State has been turned in to water world.


Water hazard: River Ridge Golf Course in Mission Valley, San Diego is almost entirely submerged


Residents are reeling after an astonishing week of storms and torrential rain caused flooding, mudslides, tornadoes - and, in the mountains, more than 15ft of snow.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had announced a state of emergency for the worst hit areas and rescue crews frantically tried to clear flooded roads before anothe 'monster' storm predicted for last brought more thunder, hail and even small tornadoes.


The car park around the the Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego is underwater


Mercifully, residents were spared as the forecast storm failed to materialise - but now the massive clean-up operation must begin.

Much of San Diego is flooded, with aerial footage showing residents in rafts paddling to dry land.

The stadium where the Washington Huskies are scheduled to play the Holiday Bowl was flooded after a berm that holds the Murphy Canyon Creek gave way.


Storms: A woman is helped through muddy flood waters after she was evacuated from her home


Torrential: A woman hangs out of her car window as she waits to be rescued by firefighters in Sun Valley


In some places the water Qualcomm Stadium is one to two feet deep.

The Huskies are scheduled to play Nebraska on December 30. The City of San Diego plans to have emergency crews come in to shore up the creek so the Holiday Bowl can be played as scheduled.

Brian Edwards, a meteorologist with AccuWeather, said: 'This has been an unbelievably wet week. An area of high pressure will move into the area beginning today bringing a mix of sun and clouds.'

Throughout the day, flood warnings were issued as heavy rains fell in the area already saturated by a series of storms that began last Thursday.

Downtown Los Angeles received 7.67 inches of rain from last Thursday through to yesterday afternoon.

Mr Edwards said the average rainfall for December in the area is 1.91 inches.


Rescued: Guests clutching their belongings are ferried clear of their hotel in San Diego after it flooded


Flooded: Cars stand in several feet of water in San Diego. Major roads have been affected by mudslides and heavy snowfall at higher altitudes


In a part of the world that takes shirtsleeves winter weather for granted, the week-long bout of heavy rain has caused Christmas chaos.

Officials ordered evacuation of 232 homes in the foothill suburbs of Los Angeles amid fears of mudslides, power was down in many communities and the downtown area of picturesque Laguna Beach was cut off by floodwater that stripped away sand from the shoreline.

A similar weather pattern is said to have brought 45 straight days of rain to the state in 1861. It caused flooding of Biblical proportions, recalling the tale of Noah and the ark, and the damage it caused bankrupted the state.







source: dailymail