Mandatory evacuations were issued Tuesday night in downtown San Anselmo, as a nearby creek approached flood levels, according to the Central Marin Police Authority and the Marin County Sheriff's Office.
Central Marin police were aiding in the evacuations, driving their cruisers up and down streets with lights and sirens running and ordering people in businesses and residences to leave the downtown area.
Corte Madera Creek was at 13.5 feet as of 7:35 p.m., according to Central Marin police. Flooding typically occurs when it exceeds 13 feet, officials said.
San Anselmo Avenue was shut down between Center Boulevard and Bolinas Avenue, and authorities were warning people to stay out of the area.
On the Nikomas Bridge, west of downtown San Anselmo, the creek was taking over the bridge. People living nearby watched nervously as water got closer to their homes.
"It's up over our yard a few feet from our living area," one resident said.
San Anselmo was one of the areas in Marin County that was under a flash-flood warning since early Tuesday.
Elsewhere in Marin County, Novato police recommended evacuations Tuesday evening for Nave Court, Lauren Avenue and Joan Avenue, near Novato Creek. But after the water receded, the advisory was lifted just after 9:30 p.m. and the evacuation center at Margaret Todd Senior Center closed later Tuesday night.
In Sonoma County, authorities issued advisory evacuations for low-lying areas along the Russian River, setting up an evacuation center at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial building, 1351 Maple Ave., Santa Rosa.
