Photos: Severe flooding forces hundreds of water rescues around San Jose, California

California’s stormy winter continued early this week as another potent storm swept through Northern California with heavy rain and gusty winds.

The storm impacted the region as it was still dealing with swollen rivers and reservoirs flowing to capacity.

There were no reported problems at the Oroville Dam as officials continued to lower water levels on the lake and work on the damaged spillways. However, more erosion of the main spillway was expected, according to the Sacramento Bee.

The city of San Jose said Monday night it was monitoring flood levels along Coyote, Arroyo and Ross creeks. Many road closures were reported along the area. Evacuation centers were opened for those who chose to evacuate their homes on low-lying areas near Coyote Creek.

Evacuation orders became mandatory around San Jose on Tuesday for areas at high risk of flooding around Coyote Creek.

Water rescues were initiated as flood waters were tall enough to cover cars, according to NBC Bay Area.

"We knew we would have flooding in San Jose. We did not know how bad it was," San Jose Fire Department Captain Mitch Matlow told NBC Bay Area. Matlow also said it was the worst flooding he has seen during his 35 years working in Santa Clara County.

"This is the worst flooding and water rescue situation that I have personally participated in," he said.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo took to Twitter to thank the San Jose Fire Department for coming to the rescue of more than 220 residents. He later said the city was expanding the evacuation order for nearly all residents east of Coyote Creek.

Since San Jose does not have sirens or another emergency warning system, firefighters knocked on doors to tell residents to leave their homes, the Associated Press reported.

Residents and officials alike reported feeling caught off-guard by the severity of the storm. A full investigation is said to open as to what should have been done differently.

At least 25 roads were damaged by the storms in Santa Clara County alone.

A levee breach occurred on the San Joaquin River around 4 p.m. PST on Monday. The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said evacuations were ordered for about 500 residents who live south of the Manteca, California. The evacuation area consisted of mostly farms and ranches.

By 8:45 p.m. local time Monday night, the breech had been halted thanks to emergency actions of the local Reclamation District.

In the town of Morgan Hill, water flowed onto the spillway at the Anderson Dam for the first time in 11 years.

Thousands were left without power, and lengthy flight delays were reported at San Francisco International Airport. At one point early Monday, delays were over three hours.

The international airports both in San Francisco and San Jose set new daily records for rainfall on Monday. San Francisco received 2.16 inches of rain, surpassing the 1980 record of 1.06 inches. San Jose received 1.87 inches of rain, beating the more than 100-year-old record of 0.89 of an inch in 1914. 

In the Sierra Nevada, several feet of snow caused travel disruptions along Interstate 80. Due to multiple vehicle collisions, I-80 westbound was closed from the Nevada state line through Donner Pass.

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