33 horrifying photos and videos showing just how dangerous the California floods have been
A tow truck pulls a car out of a flooded intersection on January 4, 2023 in Mill Valley, California(AFP)

Fifteen people have been declared dead so far in the torrential downpours that hit all of California from Los Angeles to the Oregon border. One five-year-old boy is still missing after being swept away in flood waters in San Miguel. Police announced that the search for the boy had to be paused because the weather was too unpredictable for them to continue without endangering the lives of the first responders.

The crisis began last week as a series of unrelenting rain systems rocked the west coast, pouring the equivalence of one month of rain in just mere hours.

Dr. Peter Gleick, co-founder of the Pacific Institute, explained, "Instead of thinking we can control all floods, we have to learn to live with them."

Writing for the Washington Post on Tuesday, Dr. Gleick explained that while the floods are bad, they've certainly been far worse in the past and that the state should brace for worse in the future. He has been posting updates of the reservoirs in the state that could help ease the decade of drought the state has faced.

"Sierra snowpack at 200% of normal," he also said Monday night. "Santa Barbara got a third of average ANNUAL rain in 20 hrs. 14 known flood deaths already. Montecito evacuated, most of LA Co. under flash flood warning. New atmospheric river(s) coming ashore tonight & into next week plus."

To help those impacted by the floods and storms, people can donate to the California United Way, the North Cal Red Cross, SoCal Red Cross, or the California Animal Welfare Association.

Rough seas on the Santa Cruz coast were captured by a group of men showing bridges being washed out, waves washing over a pier and destroying the bridge out to it.

A Fresno video shows a waterfall barreling down a mountain into what was a small river below that now looks more like a series of fire hydrants have opened than a small river.

A Ventura County woman posted a video of what she said was a river bead that was dry just two days ago. Now it looks to be ten feet from the bottom of the highway bridge.

On Monday, Ellen DeGeneres posted a video of the raging flood waters in a creek behind her home in Montecito, California, which she said last experienced intense fires and mudslides about five years ago.

"Probably about nine feet up," she said.

Three days ago the streets of San Francisco were already flooded. It's the second time in a week after parking lots were flooded on Jan. 4. By Jan. 10, over 92,000 San Franciscans were without power, mostly in the south Bay Area.

Low-lying areas of Sacramento county had flood waters about halfway up the doors of a car.

Gilroy, California, known for its summer garlic festival, showed flood waters about a foot shy of swallowing one pick-up truck.

Sacramento's experience was less about flooding and more about the high winds that toppled massive trees that landed on homes and cars.

As of two days ago, the Sacramento River was almost up to the road on Tower Bridge, ABC10 reported. Areal photos from the following day show it hasn't taken out the bridge just yet.

With downpours come mudslides and sinkholes, both of which are happening up and down the state.

Los Angeles Fire Department officers were forced to rescue people caught in a sinkhole in Chatsworth.


It is slightly smaller than that the one at the Oakland Zoo, which took out an entire road over New Year's.



See the other videos and photos below:

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