Storm floods Marin County roads, forcing closures
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (KGO) -- On Wednesday night, San Rafael police closed Lucas Valley Road under Highway 101 after rain water began to pool and flood the road. But, drivers continued to drive through and around clearly marked cones and signs blocking the road. One car, an Acura sedan, got stuck in the middle of the puddle, stranding the driver. "I drove through and my engine shut down," said Nader Parvin who lives in Marin and thought he could make it through the growing puddle in his car. "I should have not driven through there... it was a mistake," Parvin admitted.
Similar pools of water, receding and filling up again as the rain and tides changed throughout the night, can be found throughout Marin County. Generally it's best to go around or turn around when confronted by a road flooded with deep water. "You may think it's cool, you may think it's fun going through big puddles, but the eventuality is you get stuck," said San Rafael Police Officer, Tom Collins, who helped Parvin get his car towed off of Lucas Valley Road.
RELATED: 'Turn around, don't drown'
In San Anselmo, their namesake creek is roaring with water. The businesses above the creek on San Anselmo Avenue are armed with sandbags and flood gates. Magid Nazari owns Ludwig's Fine Wines and Spirits and has been barricading his business since 2005, when they flooded. "We do it three or four times a year, usually during the big storms such as this." Nazari says ever since they started using a flood gate, they haven't had any flooding inside their business.
RELATED STORIES & VIDEOS:
- TIPS: How do you recover from hydroplaning?
- TIPS: Here's how to use sandbags and prevent flooding
- How to prepare your home for winter storms
- VIDEO: A rare sight in the Bay Area - snow-covered hillsides and mountains!
- Snow blankets Bay Area peaks
- Fresh snowfall on Mount Diablo captivates Bay Area snow seekers
