Two people were found dead in floodwaters as a storm surge hit Northern California

Two people found dead in floodwaters in Northern California among the atmospheric river that dumped record amounts of rain, causing rivers and streams to overflow and creating dangerous road conditions, authorities said.

Both deaths were reported Saturday in Sonoma County, about 60 miles north of San Francisco, where 20 inches of rain fell in three days, officials said. The storm brought three times the normal November rainfall to Sonoma County.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said a man was found Saturday trapped in a car that was submerged in 6 feet of water when it apparently became stuck while trying to drive down a flooded road in the Russian River town of Guerneville, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said.

According to the sheriff’s office, a passerby noticed the car bobbing in the water around 11:30 a.m. local time and called 911.

“The caller believed there was at least one person in the vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Deputies and firefighters from the Sonoma County and Monte Rio fire departments responded to the call, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Crews were able to recover the occupant of the vehicle, but despite the quick action of emergency services, the man was pronounced dead at the scene,” the sheriff’s office said.

It is unclear how long the man was submerged in the vehicle before rescuers reached him.

The name of the man, believed to be in his 60s, was withheld by officials pending an autopsy by the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office.

In its flood warning, the National Weather Service clearly warned: “Turn around, don’t drown when you encounter flooded roads. Most flood casualties occur in vehicles. Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.”

The body of a second man was found Saturday near a swollen creek in the city of Santa Rosa, according to the Santa Rosa Police Department.

According to police, a resident walking on the Piner Creek Trail called 911 after spotting a body in the creek around 8:41 a.m.

An investigation is underway into the circumstances that led to a man who authorities say drowned ending up in the creek. The exact cause of death will await an autopsy.

The storm dumped 12.47 inches of rain in Santa Rosa over three days, qualifying it as a 1,000-year rain event.

Tourist Allan Johnson told ABC in San Francisco KGO that Piner Creek rose at least 6 feet during record rainfall.

“I walk here all the time. I’ve never seen water this high,” Johnson said.

Although rain subsided Sunday, a flood watch remained in effect for central Sonoma County through Monday afternoon as officials warned of flooding in small streams and low-lying areas.

Last week, the atmospheric river roared into the Northwest, slamming into Washington and Oregon and reaching northern California, bringing with it strong winds and heavy rain.

Two people died when trees fell in Washington state. In Bellevue, a tree fell on a house, striking and killing a woman who was taking a shower Tuesday night, Bellevue firefighters said.

The storm broke out inbomb cycloneoff the coast near Vancouver Island in Canada, where wind gusts reached speeds of up to 160 km/h, officials said.

A bomb cyclone means that the pressure at the center of the storm drops by 24 millibars in 24 hours.