Super bloom creates a poppy 'apocalypse' in Southern California city

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A poppy super bloom is overwhelming Lake Elsinore in Riverside County and city officials are venting online.

The city's mayor took to Facebook yesterday to layout the crisis the huge crowds are creating. He said they are short-handed, an employee was hit by a driver, a rattlesnake bit one of the super bloom visitors, and residents are getting upset at the people directing traffic.

It is estimated 50,000 people have come to checkout the hills which are filled with California's state flower right now.

Usually a super bloom occurs about once every ten years, but this is the second one in the Lake Elsinore area since 2017.

People have been driving from all over the state to see the poppies for themselves and take pictures, especially on weekends.

City officials however sound like they are getting red in the face from all the people checking out the sea of orange poppies.

They wrote on Instagram Lake Elsinore "is not made for Disneyland-size crowds."