CORTE MADERA, Calif. – Teams have been busy clearing mud from essential California highways, as meteorologists cautioned that more thunderstorms are expected soon. Recent heavy rains and high tides have already led to flooding, road closures, and the need to rescue individuals trapped in their vehicles.

In Northern California, five counties are still under a flood watch. The National Weather Service in Eureka anticipates up to three inches (7.6 cm) of additional rainfall by Monday night in areas already soaked since around Christmas. Mountain regions could see snowfall of at least a foot (0.3 meters).

Meanwhile, southward in the San Francisco Bay Area, water levels are gradually receding. Torrential rains combined with record-breaking “King Tides” inundated roadways from Sausalito to San Rafael. These tides are especially high when the moon is at its closest point to Earth, leading to a stronger gravitational impact.

Residents navigated flooded streets in kayaks, while some waded through water reaching above their knees. Emergency services responded to vehicles stranded in water as deep as 3 to 4 feet (1.1 to 1.2 meters), according to Marin County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Dobbins on Saturday.

“I’ve experienced King Tides here before, but I’ve never seen the water rise this high,” remarked Jeremy Hager from San Rafael during an interview with KTVU-TV.

Flooding was reported across Marin, Sonoma, Alameda, San Mateo and San Francisco counties.

While the tides were waning, lingering thunderstorms on Sunday could cause additional problems throughout low-lying areas, forecasters said. “For anyone driving, slow down and allow extra time to reach your destination,” the Bay Area office of the weather service warned on social media.

Farther south in Santa Barbara County, a key highway was reopened Sunday after it was blocked for most of the weekend near Goleta due to a series of mudslides. A man died after he was swept into a creek during the storm, the sheriff’s office said Saturday.

Parts of Santa Barbara County received more than four inches (10 cm) of rain over two days, the weather service said Sunday.

After a mostly dry autumn, California has been hit by a series of powerful winter storms that brought the wettest holiday season to the state in years.