California Floods: Roads, Schools, Airport Shut; Rescue Operations Underway

California flooding worsened Monday as heavy rains continued in several areas near the coast. With evacuation efforts underway in various counties, multiple roads and schools have been sealed off by authorities.

Both directions of Highway 101 in the Gilroy area have been closed down due to heavy flooding, California Highway Patrol confirmed. The Department of Transportation has listed multiple road closures throughout the state as the death toll due to flash flooding death toll reached 14 as of Monday, according to USA Today.

The closed roads include all lanes on northbound I-5 at Lankershim Boulevard, westbound I-10 connectors to north and southbound I-710 in Alhambra, route 126 in Fillmore from Central Avenue to Hopper Canyon Road, and Highway 150 in both directions from north of Santa Paula to the Ventura-Santa Barbara county line.

The Santa Barbara Airport also grounded all flights Monday due to excessive flooding. "All commercial flights are canceled until further notice, and the terminal is closed," authorities said on Twitter.

Multiple schools remained closed Monday as the rain persisted through the state. All public schools in Santa Barbara county also announced no classes will be scheduled for Tuesday, while educational institutions in Ventura County have not made any announcement so far.

Tiffany Morse, an official of Ojai Unified School District, said authorities would take a decision Tuesday after considering road closures, Ventura County Star reported.

The floods have also caused infrastructural damage across the state, which triggered multiple rescue operations. A large sinkhole opened up in Chatsworth on Monday, swallowing two vehicles and four individuals inside, as per Patch. While two people managed to pull themselves out, the remaining two were taken out by firefighters who conducted "a high-angle rope rescue operation," the outlet added.

Margaret Stewart, a spokesperson for the fire department, said "the road was continuing to sluff and deteriorate, necessitating an immediate rescue to save their lives."

Authorities also searched for a 5-year-old who got swept away in flowing water while on his way to school. "We called out the sheriff's dive team to assist with the search and they searched for multiple hours without locating the child," the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office told People. The boy was accompanied by his mother, who was saved by bystanders.