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Aerial Photos Of California Flood | Weather.com
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Aerial Photos Show California Flooding From Above

Floodwaters surround homes and vehicles in the community of Pajaro in Monterey County, Calif., on Monday, March 13, 2023. Built in the late 1940s to provide flood protection, the Pajaro River's levee has been a known risk for decades with several breaches in the 1990s. Emergency repairs to a section of the berm were undertaken in January. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
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Floodwaters surround homes and vehicles in the community of Pajaro in Monterey County, Calif., on Monday, March 13, 2023. Built in the late 1940s to provide flood protection, the Pajaro River's levee has been a known risk for decades with several breaches in the 1990s. Emergency repairs to a section of the berm were undertaken in January. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

At a Glance

  • Central California towns are underwater after an atmospheric river dumped up to a foot of rain in some areas.
  • Residents in Pajaro, California, were forced to flee the town with just minutes' notice.
  • Aerial photos show a bird's-eye view of the emergency.

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A​erial photos show the extent of the flooding in some of California's most inundated towns, including Pajaro, where about 1,700 residents were awoken from their sleep in order to evacuate immediately after a levee failed around midnight on Saturday.

(​MORE: Evacuations After Levee Break Caught Residents Off Guard In Pajaro, California)

The Associated Press reported that at least 50 people were rescued in the Pajaro area as floodwaters rose.

C​entral California is seeing major flooding after an atmospheric river dumped up to a foot of rain in coastal areas and the Sierra Nevada foothills. Relentless winter storms have created several feet of snowpack in mountainous regions of the state, and runoff from the snow has worsened the flooding.

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About 8,500 people throughout California were evacuated from their homes over the weekend, many fleeing to shelters that have opened in the wake of the emergency.

(​MORE: Another Atmospheric River Event Will Increase Flood Threat In California This Week)

President Biden signed an emergency declaration for the state on Friday and ordered federal assistance for California.

C​lick through the slideshow above to see a different vantage point of the flood.

M​ORE FROM WEATHER.COM: Photos Of California's Flood Emergency

A sheriff's deputy drives through floodwaters in the community of Pajaro in Monterey County, Calif., on Monday, March 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
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A sheriff's deputy drives through floodwaters in the community of Pajaro in Monterey County, Calif., on Monday, March 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

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