Sonora Residents Starting To Assess Damage After Brutal Storms Roll Through
SONORA (CBS13) — A string of string storms has parts of the City of Sonora cleaning up Thursday. This was the mother of all storms that left a huge mess.
"The water came from across the street and down alongside my house," said Joe Marshall.
Marshall knows extreme weather. He lived in Alaska for decades.
"I have never seen anything like this," Marshall said.
What happened Wednesday in Sonora defies explanation. He showed us cell phone video where water is rushing down his driveway and he is yelling "oh no look at this — my car!"
A series of strong storms pummeled the mountain town bringing high winds, rain, and hail. The hail even filled in Marshall's basement with feet of ice.
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"This like Dippin' Dots on steroids, " said a neighbor who pitched in to help shovel it out. While the water was draining out of peoples homes and yards, cleanup crews were everywhere.
"We are sucking water out of carpets and using dehumidifiers," said one man.
The AT&T building was inundated with water knocking out phone service to City Hall and the Police Department for most of the day. A log jam at a bridge along Woods Creek backed up water in a low part of the Sonora County Fairgrounds while they were setting up for this weekend's Celtic Faire.
Organizer Patrick Karnahan said the water rose so high it flooded tents where people were setting up.
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Many like Marshall are assessing the damage and calling their insurance company. He had questions and they had answers — just not what he wanted to hear.
"They said I wouldn't be covered if it was due to rain, but that I would be if a creek overflowed. So somewhere out there, I think a creek overflowed," Marshall said with a chuckle.
The Sonora Celtic Faire will go on as planned starting Friday at 9:30 AM.
No power was out but phone service was Wednesday-it was back up and running Thursday.