Yet another strong storm has hit Kern County.
This storm has been different than our last few, though.
Instead of heavy snow, heavy rain has been the issue.
In fact Kern has seen very little snow from this system, and much of our mountain snow is melting.
That snow melt, combined with the rain, is fueling serious flooding for parts of Kern County, especially around Lake Isabella.
The most significant flooding has been in the Kernville and Wofford Heights areas, where small streams have swelled, and the Kern River has flooded.
The Kern River at Kernville hit 17.77 feet at 3 PM Friday, up more than 10 feet from the 6.33 feet the river was at at midnight.
The flow through Kern river was an astounding 45,757 cubic feet per second at its peak, enough to fill a football field with a foot of water in just one second.
The rushing water has raised the storage of Lake Isabella by over 25 thousand acre feet since midnight, and the water level is still rising.
The Kern River remains at nearly 17 feet as of 6 PM, but is slowly dropping as the heaviest rain has left Kern County.
Scattered showers and even a stray thunderstorm are still possible through Saturday across Kern though, so the waters will be slow to recede.
The Flash Flood Warning for the Kernville area remains in effect until 9 PM Friday, and may be extended past that time if flood waters don't fall.
If you're in a flooded area, evacuate to higher ground, and never attempt to cross flood waters, either on foot or with a car.
