Heavy rains and the most significant high tides in nearly 20 years drenched Northern California on Saturday, leading to flooding that closed roads and necessitated rescues of stranded motorists in Corte Madera and surrounding areas.

Floodwaters inundated a 15-mile (24-kilometer) corridor from the vicinity of Sausalito to San Rafael, as a torrential downpour coincided with unprecedented “King Tides,” according to Marin County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Dobbins.

While no injuries were reported, emergency services were busy aiding drivers whose vehicles were trapped in floodwaters reaching heights of three to four feet (1.1 to 1.2 meters), Dobbins noted.

“The roads are heavily waterlogged,” Dobbins commented, attributing the situation to the highest tides seen in over two decades combined with intense rainfall. “It was the ideal setup for street flooding.”

Authorities in nearby communities around San Francisco urged residents to remain indoors until the floodwaters subsided. In response, some locals took to kayaking through streets usually bustling with traffic, while others waded through water that rose past their knees.

A flood warning was in place for the San Francisco area until 2 p.m. Saturday and an advisory until 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in San Francisco.

King Tides occur when the sun, moon and Earth are in alignment and the moon is in its closest position to the Earth, creating a stronger gravitational pull.