Storm damages vehicles, roadways

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Into the night on Friday, Caltrans crews could be seen working along Highway 99 near Olive and Belmont, repairing two lanes where potholes were deepened by the recent storm.

"They were in bad shape and we were getting calls about rocks just flying," said Sam Yniguez with Caltrans. "We just decided that instead of trying to go in there and make even more of a mess, we would wait it out until we got a chance to really get in there and make a difference."

The heavy downpours left cars stalled on the side of the road, while others took the risk and drove through the dangerously high water.

Herndon Towing truck operator Jason McKay says on a normal day they typically get between 40 and 60 calls for service. On Thursday they received well over 100.

"There were a lot of vehicles that got rained on and stuck in the flood, then there was a lot of vehicles flooded with people getting stuck in the puddles not knowing how deep it was. Nobody was really happy and a lot of people lost their cars and there is going to be a big headache behind it."

The aftermath of the storm was not only catastrophic but also costly.

Local insurance agent Itzel Aguas says the number one thing you do should before filing a claim is collect evidence. "The best and first thing they should do is take pictures of the vehicle and what happened."

A tip to remember in case a future storm brings the same devastation.