Californians recount terror of fleeing homes as flash floods deluged San Diego - destroying properties, downing power lines and turning roads to rivers

Californians have told of their terror as they were forced to flee their homes amid flash floods that deluged the region.

Locals were forced to jump from windows to escape the rising waters caused by explosive rain, which lifted up cars and knocked out power to thousands.

A state of emergency was declared in San Diego on Monday amid the historic rainfall, which was one of the city's four wettest days on record and left at least 100 homes damaged or destroyed. 

More than three inches of rain fell at San Diego airport, while higher elevations saw more than five as of early Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. During the winter, the region typically averages around two inches of rain per month.

One terrifying clip showed Hugo Pacheco and his family wading through fast rushing water at chest height after their home was washed away. 

Californians, including Hugo Pacheco (pictured) were forced to flee their homes amid flash floods which swept the area on Monday

A State of Emergency was declared in San Diego, where emergency services were called to rescue dozens of people and their pets

Rapidly rising flood waters caused damage to at least 100 homes in the San Diego area

'The house I've lived in all my life just flooded,' he said. 'Scariest moment of my life. this was me evacuating. Everything's replaceable but it just hurts seeing it all go. Please pray for me and my family.

Elsewhere school children at Balboa Elementary School were evacuated to the second floor after three feet of water deluged the building. 

Other videos showed lifeguards rescuing pets caught up in the floods. Footage showed one completely sodden dog being transported to safety on a surfboard.

Michael Rios told how he grabbed his own Chihuahua Maxey and jumped from a window to escape the fast flowing waters.

'I jumped out my living room window,' Rios told the San Diego Union-Tribune. 'I heard my neighbor yelling that he couldn't get out and he was trapped — so we had to break through his window to get him out.

'The cars and a dumpster looked like they were flowing down the street. It was like a river.' 

'We almost never get rainfall that intense during a short period like that,'  Ivory Small, a weather service forecaster with more than 40 years of experience, told the outlet.

At least 45 people had to be rescued from the rushing San Diego and Tijuana rivers.

Floodwaters swept away vehicles and caused cars to pile on top of each other in parts of San Diego

San Diego saw more rain in a matter of hours than it typically receives all month in winter

Several feet of water inundated the Mountain View, Shelltown and Southcrest neighborhoods, and multiple highways including Interstate 15 

The destruction came after a storm blew in from Oceanside to the U.S.-Mexico border, instead of in just a handful of spots as is more common.

Gale force winds began to down trees and power lines, while deluges gathered on freeways making for treacherous driving conditions. 

The region was taken by surprise by the downpours after modelling failed to give notice the weather system was due to collide with 21-mile-long sliver of San Clemente Island.

Up north, early morning flooding hit the town of Guerneville, near San Francisco, where a creek overflowed after more than four inches of rain fell in 24 hours. The local school district canceled classes for the day.

The impact directly from the West caused an explosion of rain of more than an inch per hour in some parts, which overwhelmed drainage systems. 

Many schools in the area remain closed at least until Wednesday. The city of Corrondo had also declared a state of emergency with residents asked to stop flushing toilets where possible as officials battled to get water supply back on track.

Coastal flood warnings remain in place until midday PST on Tuesday from the San Francisco Bay Shoreline and North Bay Shoreline.

'Tidal levels are running up to 0.75 foot higher than tidal predictions,' the alert said. 'High tide will peak around 09:11am PST Tuesday resulting in minor coastal flooding for low-lying, flood-prone spots adjacent to the San Francisco Bay.'

At least 45 people had to be rescued from from the rushing San Diego and Tijuana rivers 

Some parts of the San Antonio area received up to five inches of rain since Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service

Flooding in lots and parks is expected, with some isolated road closures. 

But heading through the week the rain should ease off, with sunny spells forecast.

The Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management issued an evacuation warning near Topanga Canyon effective through Tuesday morning due to possible mud or debris flow.

There is an avalanche warning through Tuesday morning for the backcountry in the mountains around the Lake Tahoe area, which might see more than a foot of snow, according to The Sierra Avalanche Center in Truckee, California.

The storm is expected to bring up to 8 inches of snow to the lake´s shores and up to 14 inches with winds gusting up to 60 mph in the highest elevations beginning late Monday.

Beyond that however, Californians could be in for more storms at the end of the month and heading towards February.

An east-to-west jet stream across the Pacific Ocean is expected to gust more storms.