Evacuation warnings amid flooding after California storm
Evacuation warnings were in place in rural Northern California on New Year’s Day after a powerful storm brought drenching rain or heavy snowfall to much of the state, breaching levees, snarling traffic and closing major highways SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Evacuation warnings were in place in rural Northern California on New Year's Day after a powerful storm brought drenching rain or heavy snowfall to much of the state, breaching levees, snarling traffic and closing major highways. Major flooding occurred in agricultural areas about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Sacramento, where rivers swelled beyond their banks and inundated dozens of cars along State Route 99. Emergency crews rescued motorists on New Year's Eve into Sunday morning and the highway remained closed. Residents of the low-lying communities of Point Pleasant, Glanville Tract and Franklin Pond near Interstate 5 were told to prepare to leave before more roadways are cut off by rising water and evacuation b...