California storm water damages roads, levees

California: Officials in Northern California say a levee along a highway has breached and they are monitoring the rural area in case a highway gets flooded or train tracks are damaged.

California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer Andrew Barclay said Thursday that crews with several agencies were watching the swollen Novato Creek, which was flooding a field to the south of Highway 37.

Barclay said the highway remained open but they may close it if it gets flooded.

There are no nearby homes or structures threatened by flooding but the officials posted about the breach on social media to warn area residents of the possible closure.

Waves of heavy rain pounded California on Thursday, washing away a mountain highway, triggering a mudslide that destroyed homes, and forcing residents to flee communities scorched by wildfires last year.

The powerful system swept in from the Pacific Ocean and unleashed damaging rain, snow and wind across the U.S. West into Wyoming, Montana and Colorado after walloping Northern California and southern Oregon a day earlier.

The National Weather Service reported staggering rainfall amounts across California, including more than 9.4 inches (24 centimeters) over 48 hours at one location in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles.

(With inputs from APTN)