Rescuers take advantage of break in storms in California

FORESTVILLE, Calif. -- Emergency crews in rescue boats and helicopters rushed to take advantage of a one-day break between storms Monday to rescue stranded people and assess damage after the heaviest rain in a decade overwhelmed parts of California and Nevada.

A weekend storm dumped more than a foot of water on parts of Northern California, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate and leaving thousands without power. The system raised rivers out of their banks and toppled trees, among them the fabled giant sequoia dubbed "Pioneer Cabin" that had a tunnel carved into its base more than a century ago.

Another strong storm was bearing down on the region today.

Such gaps between storms are "what saves us from the big water," fire chief Max Ming said in the Russian River town of Forestville, where rescuers launched rafts and used a helicopter to search for people cut off by rising water. "People hunker down and wait for it to get past."

The back-to-back storms that have hit California and Nevada since last week are part of an "atmospheric river" weather system that draws precipitation from the Pacific Ocean as far west as Hawaii. That kind of system, also known as the "pineapple express," poses catastrophic risks for areas hit by the heaviest rain.

"It's been about 10 years since we've experienced this kind of rainfall," said Steve Anderson, a National Weather Service forecaster. "We're getting a little bit of a break today, but we have another storm system arriving tomorrow that's not quite as potent but could still cause problems."

Parts of California's wine country in Sonoma County were among the hardest hit, with up to 13 inches of rain since Friday, Anderson said.

The Russian River in Sonoma rose to its highest level since 2006, spilling over its banks and into vineyards and oak groves. Schools and roads were forced to close across the area. Avalanche concerns kept some California ski areas closed for a second day Monday in the Sierra Nevadas.