Properties flooded after canal spills over in Fresno County

FRESNO COUNTY (KFSN) -- Crews spent hours pumping out water from a Fresno County neighborhood after a nearby canal flooded one home and adjacent properties early Wednesday morning.

"I was laying there and heard a gurgling sound, like water,"

Jayson Zarcone quickly got out of bed only to realize gushing water had taken over the inside of his home and it was not slowing down.

"A lot of things run through your head...you're not sure what to do or what direction to turn, once you get everyone out safely you can't really stop it. You just kind of sit back and watch it do what it's going to do," said Zarcone.

What it did was disastrous, the water has since been pumped out, but here is what it looked like.

The entire property was submerged, knee-high water in the front yard and total damage throughout the inside, everywhere you stepped.

A nearby canal overflowed before 3 a.m.

According to neighbors crews had been using pumps to divert water around a bridge that is under construction but for some reason, the pumps were never turned on.

"A lack of them paying attention something. Something wasn't getting taken care of so the canal just flooded and came into our place," said Zarcone.

As a result, a neighbor's stable was also flooded.

Officials stepped up to rescue the animals and bring them to shelter just in time but the damage is widespread.

"My family's lived in this property since the 60s and we never had a water problem ever. I've got two little sub pumps flowing this way which is like a spoon in a bathtub," said resident Karen Getty-Hopkins.

It is still too early to put a price tag on the total cost of damages but no injuries were reported.

"I thank God. I'm alive and thank God my family is good and everybody is safe but you know this will take months and months to clean up," said Zarcone.