MERCED, Calif. (AP) – Two levees broke Tuesday in California’s chief agricultural region, flooding a trailer park, threatening other homes in Merced and inundating farmland near Sacramento.

There were no immediate reports of any injuries across the Central Valley.

The breaks occurred as rain continued to fall across Northern California, with some residents evacuating their homes near San Francisco because of the threat of landslides and forecasters predicting continued wet weather through next week.

Water breached a 30-foot section of levee along a creek in Merced, sending up to 18 inches of water pouring through a mobile home park, said Michael Miller, a spokesman for the Department of Water Resources.

Three trailer parks were evacuated, a total of 200 people, said Elaine Post, spokeswoman for the Merced County Office of Emergency Services.

South of Sacramento, a Consumnes River levee gave way, swamping pastures but not threatening any homes. The same area broke in January during heavy storms. The amount of land under water was not immediately known.

Sacramento had 5.29 inches of rain in March – 2.49 inches more than average, according to the National Weather Service. Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, San Rafael and Santa Rosa all broke rainy-day records last month.

The rain also is melting snow in the mountains, swelling streams in the Central Valley.


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