Homes in Mountain View around S. 42nd St. and Ocean View Boulevard saw massive flooding midday Monday after several hours of rain.
Cars in the area had their tires mostly or entirely submerged as water flowed south down 42nd Street.
The water receded and drains were cleared by about 2 p.m. The road was covered in mud, and cars were left at various angles after the moving water carried them down the street.
Earlier in the day, several feet of water mounted in front of a home on the corner of 42nd and Ocean View Boulevard as a river flowed at the back of the house. A channel behind the house would normally take in rain water and flush it out to the ocean, but on Monday it was overflowing and flooding the neighborhoods.
Inside the house, the garage saw the worst of the flooding. A refrigerator was toppled onto its side, and appliances were under water. Residents piled several sandbags against the back door while the river behind the house grew.
Leaves and tree limbs blocked off storm drains, which led to localized flooding. The water was overflowing down Ocean View Boulevard to I-805.
One resident told CBS 8 he had warned city officials the area was going to flood. He said he asked officials to clean out the flood channel to prevent it from overflowing, but it was still full of debris.
“We said, ‘It’s going to flood, you guys better be prepared for it,'" he recalled.
Monday afternoon, CBS 8 reached out to the city for comment. A spokesperson released the following statement:
"We received your inquiry about the flooding in Mountain View. Our teams are still responding to the storm and we’ll need to get back to you on this. Thanks for understanding. Our Stormwater team is extremely busy at the moment."
CBS 8 will continue to try and get answers.
Kayakers search for people to rescue
Two residents paddled around the neighborhood on kayaks looking for neighbors and pets who were stuck in their houses.
"My kayak was floating out, so I was like, ah, got to make use of them,” said Juan, who wore shorts and slides alongside his jacket and beanie.
His house was underwater, too, he said. Juan's mom grabbed a few things, he said, but not much. They were more worried about their pets and themselves.
"Everything is under water," he said.
The two kayakers paddled along their street that had become a river, moving toward a dog they saw up ahead. They planned to continue searching for people and pets.
By about 1 p.m., Juan estimated he rescued five or six people trapped in their homes.
"We’ve never seen anything like this before,” Juan said. “Everybody’s in shock.”
WATCH RELATED: 42nd Street in Mountain View underwater as residents try to find those in need of help