CALIFORNIA - Powerful storms early this week resulted in flooding, localized damage to the state’s water infrastructure, and evacuation orders.

Roughly 500 residents of California’s Central Valley were forced to evacuate Monday night, as floodwaters breached the levee along the San Joaquin river, according to CNN.

The breach occurred near the town of Manteca, in San Joaquin County, and an evacuation order was issued around 7:30 p.m. Monday evening. By 8:45, crews had stopped the breach, but evacuation orders for many residents in the important ranching and farming region reportedly remained in place well into the week.

According to ABC News, storms resulted in mandatory evacuations in Lake and Monterey County—where some Salinas residents had to be evacuated by boat—as well as voluntary evacuations in Sacramento County.

In a dramatic turn of events, several thousand residents of rural Spring Valley were trapped after storm waters and mudslides washed away the community's two entrance roads.

This week’s storm is the latest in a series of storms that have hit California over the Winter—providing much-needed water to the parched state but also causing damage and overflowing reservoirs.

For more on the effects of the storms on this important growing region, check in with AndNowUKnow.