A second straight day of record rainfall in Bakersfield Sunday brought widespread flooding and no immediate hope of relief from dripping skies.
The wet weekend left neighborhoods around the county inundated. Roads were shut as asphalt disappeared under water while homeowners stacked sandbags in hopes of staying dry. Some locals enjoyed the deluge, riding kayaks, canoes, rafts and bodyboards in parks and along city streets where water pooled deeply.
More rain is on tap for the first half of the week, with colder temperatures and fog possibly settling in before Christmas.
As of 6 p.m. Sunday, 1.42" of rain had fallen at Meadows Field Airport since midnight, the National Weather Service in Hanford reported. More rain was expected during the night, but the 6 p.m. amount was already enough to make Sunday the wettest December day on record in Bakersfield, said meteorologist Modesto Vasquez.
Saturday's 1.37" total had also set new records.
Rain should continue through Monday evening, Vasquez said, with a slight break before another storm moves in Wednesday. By Thursday, dry skies and cold weather could bring fog.
Washington resident Nick Costerisan was visiting his sister in Bakersfield's Campus Park neighborhood Sunday as water threatened some homes on the streets around Earl Warren Junior High School.
"I'm used to floods and rain," said Costerisan, who previously lived in Bakersfield for 18 years. "But I've never seen it rain like this in Bakersfield."
Some drivers were racing trucks through the streets, he said, creating waves that crept into garages.
Water had also been pouring out of manholes since Saturday night. For the first few hours it smelled like sewer water, he said, but after that it seemed to be running clear.
Around Kern County, flooding, mud slides, falling rocks, crested creeks and downed trees created havoc. Roads and emergency crews worked overtime to cope. The city of Bakersfield declared a local emergency around 8:30 p.m. and urged residents to avoid unnecessary driving Sunday night.
In other news:
• 10,000 sandbags were made available to Bakersfield residents at Yokuts Park Sunday afternoon, with additional sand available for bagging. The city also delivered sandbags to flooded areas but said service would be slow. Sand bags are not available at city fire stations.
During business hours, city residents can call the streets department at 326-3111. After hours, they can call the police non-emergency line at 327-7111.
• The city of Wasco opened an operations center for residents needing help with flooding, sandbags or finding a dry place to sleep. The number for Wasco residents is 758-7270.
In Tehachapi, hundreds of sandbags were made available at Tehachapi High School, with each home allowed to take up to 15 sandbags.
Road closures were reported around the county, from Delano in the north to mountain roads in Lake Isabella and Tehachapi as well as high desert enclaves in the eastern county. Accidents clogged streets and highways throughout the day.
In northwest Bakersfield, one northbound lane of Calloway Drive, adjacent to the new bridge being built between Stockdale Highway and Brimhall Road, was expected to stay closed through at least midday Monday. Officials hope it will be reopened before the Monday afternoon commute.
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