After Going Viral, California Man Seeks To Aid Flooded Hometown

An aerial shot of Houlihan Park in Planada, a town in the Central California county of Merced. The challenges posed by the flooding won't be over. About 90% of the residents in the community are renters, and few are likely to have flood insurance. FACEBOOK/ACCUWEATHER

Residents scramble to retrieve belongings before floodwaters rise too high Merced, California, on January 10, 2023. – Relentless storms were ravaging California again Tuesday, the latest bout of extreme weather that has left 14 people dead. Fierce storms caused flash flooding, closed key highways, toppled trees and swept away drivers and passengers — reportedly including a five-year-old-boy who remains missing in central California. JOSH EDELSON/ACCUWEATHER

Parked at the small convenient market, Alejandro Martinez turned on his phone camera and continued to document the murky floodwaters on that had overrun the small Central California town by Tuesday evening.