The Salinas River in California began to overflow its banks on Friday morning, flooding highways leading to surrounding settlements where more than 24,000 people were ordered to evacuate as yet another storm battered the state.

Farmers worked quickly to build berms to defend their fields in Monterey County, right off California's central coast, while people piled sandbags or fled before rising water shut off access to their homes.

To the north, officials in San Francisco issued a flood warning and encouraged residents to avoid needless travel over the weekend.

(With inputs from agencies)