Latest Storm Turns Roads Into Rivers In Santa Ana
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — The latest storm to hit Southern California caused flooding in Santa Ana and left behind a watery mess.
On Wednesday, residents of a board and care home on McFadden Avenue did what they could to push a river of water down their driveway and away from their living room.
"All of a sudden my roommate Jenna comes in and she's like, 'Saul, the birds! It's flooding and I don't know what to do,' " said Saul Deanda, a Santa Ana resident.
Two birds were saved as water quickly rose after heavy rain fell around 12:30 p.m. Tenants worried as the property turned into a lake.
"We're gonna lose the house and everything. Like that's the first thing I thought of was losing the house 'cause I would have nowhere else to go," said Jenna Sears, another Santa Ana resident.
A mile south in another neighborhood more flooding was visible. Cars navigated through a foot and a half of water pooled along Warner Avenue. Three vehicles needed to be towed.
Orange County Fire Authority crews sandbagged homes that flooded along McFadden Avenue. They also brought in pumps and K-rails in an effort to prevent further flooding.
"We didn't know this was going to happen because we thought it was just a normal rain but we never thought it was going to flood," said Brian Lopez, another resident.
By evening, crews also loaded sandbags outside Gricelda Jimez's home after muddy water flooded her ground floor.
"It's horrible. It's not something that you can take easily," said Jimez, who explains that her home was flooded before but never like this.
She fears what the rest of the El Nino winter has in store.
