Water rescues continued Monday in aftermath of massive winter storm, flooding
SACRAMENTO — Rescues continued early Monday morning as waters receded in rain-soaked areas across the region.
Lupe Rodriguez was trapped in her flooded car on Twin Cities Road around 5 a.m. after going to check on her parents.
"My tires were not that bad, and all of a sudden, there's a loop that got me down and that was it. I was done," she said.
Rodriguez was one of many trying to check on parents or property.
"My grandma's house is completely under right now," Eddie Martin said.
Martin shared pictures of his grandmother's home along Franklin Road.
"It was crazy. We didn't have hardly any time to prepare. [We] just had to throw stuff up and get out," he said.
They got out, but not everyone was so lucky.
"We had no idea if we were going to make it out," David Olivaras said.
Olivaras and his wife were heading home from his parents' house at around 6 p.m. Saturday on Dillard Road near Wilton when they got trapped.
"We figured the freeway was blocked, and on navigation, it said slight accident, so we are like 'OK,' " Olivaras said.
He has a 4x4 pickup truck but said they never would have chanced it if they had seen the scope of what was coming by daylight.
"We ended up losing traction. The water was above the door, started coming up higher," he said.
Olivaras and his wife jumped out and waited on top of his truck. Pictures show his tail lights underwater.
"We just took care of each other the best we could and contemplated where if we had to swim across where we would go and how we would approach it," he said.
They were both picked up by first responders along with half a dozen others
"I stalled like ten feet from safety and so they pulled us out of the windows," Nick Moore said.
The force of the water and debris pushed several other cars farther.
Emergency responders worked round the clock, even 24 hours after the rain stopped, to rescue people It's a reminder to everyone to heed mandatory evacuation orders.
"I was thinking my stupidity got all these people working. Trust me, it's not going to happen again ever," Rodriguez said.