Historic floods across northern California have turned the state’s wine country communities and an entire town into islands as emergency crews journeyed by boat to save residents from their destroyed homes and businesses.

An estimated 2,000 buildings were inundated by flooding from the Russian River in wine country north of San Francisco, which crested at more than 46 feet (14 meters) on Wednesday night, according to Sonoma County officials. The water is not expected to return to the river’s banks until late Thursday.

The river frequently floods in rainy weather but it had not reached that level in 25 years. The estimated 2,000 inundated buildings were mainly in and around the community of Guerneville, said Briana Khan, a Sonoma County spokeswoman.

“Guerneville has essentially become an island,” Ms Khan said. The town’s sweets became seas of muddy brown water. The nearby town of Monte Rio also was isolated when roads leading to it were swamped.

The river was one of several in Northern California that was engorged by days of rain from western US storms that also dumped heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada, throughout the Pacific Northwest and into Montana, where Governor Steve Bullock issued an emergency order to help keep up the supply of heating fuel amid frigid temperatures.

California storms Show all 14 1 /14 California storms California storms Water rushes down the stairs of a house near a mudslide that destroyed three homes on a hillside in Sausalito, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Waves of heavy rain pounded California on Thursday, filling normally dry creeks and rivers with muddy torrents, flooding roadways and forcing residents to flee their homes in communities scorched by wildfires. (AP Photo/Michael Short) (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms Cars and a large tree are seen in a debris trail in the aftermath of a mudslide that destroyed three homes on a hillside in Sausalito, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. The National Weather Service says the atmospheric river sagged southward from Northern California overnight and is pointed at the southwestern corner of the state early Thursday. (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms Southern Marin Fire Department members search a crushed house in the aftermath of a mudslide that destroyed three homes on a hillside in Sausalito, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Waves of heavy rain pounded California on Thursday, filling normally dry creeks and rivers with muddy torrents, flooding roadways and forcing residents to flee their homes in communities scorched by wildfires. (AP Photo/Michael Short) (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms Firefighter/paramedic Patrick Young with the Southern Marin Fire Department looks out over the aftermath of a mudslide that destroyed three homes on a hillside in Sausalito, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. The National Weather Service says the atmospheric river sagged southward from Northern California overnight and is pointed at the southwestern corner of the state early Thursday. (AP Photo/Michael Short) (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms A fallen tree that was knocked down by recent severe weather lies in the Horseshoe Bay parking lot in front of the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Waves of heavy rain pounded California on Thursday, filling normally dry creeks and rivers with muddy torrents, flooding roadways and forcing residents to flee their homes in communities scorched by wildfires. (AP Photo/Michael Short) (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms Southern Marin Fire Department members search a crushed house in the aftermath of a mudslide that destroyed three homes on a hillside in Sausalito, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Waves of heavy rain pounded California on Thursday, filling normally dry creeks and rivers with muddy torrents, flooding roadways and forcing residents to flee their homes in communities scorched by wildfires. (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms Southern Marin Fire Department members search a crushed house in the aftermath of a mudslide that destroyed three homes on a hillside in Sausalito, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Waves of heavy rain pounded California on Thursday, filling normally dry creeks and rivers with muddy torrents, flooding roadways and forcing residents to flee their homes in communities scorched by wildfires. (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms A truck drives over a flooded freeway underpass in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. The National Weather Service says the atmospheric river sagged southward from Northern California overnight and is pointed at the southwestern corner of the state early Thursday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) California storms A Caltrans work crew removes debris near a flooded lane from under a freeway in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. The National Weather Service says the atmospheric river sagged southward from Northern California overnight and is pointed at the southwestern corner of the state early Thursday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) California storms A Caltrans work crew removes debris near a flooded lane from under a freeway in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. The National Weather Service says the atmospheric river sagged southward from Northern California overnight and is pointed at the southwestern corner of the state early Thursday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) California storms Water from recent heavy rain storms breeches a levee in Novato, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Waves of heavy rain pounded California on Thursday, flooding streets, triggering a mudslide that destroyed homes and forcing residents to flee communities scorched by wildfires last year. (AP Photo/Terry Chea) California storms Water from recent heavy rain storms breech a levee and flows under railroad tracks in Novato, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Waves of heavy rain pounded California on Thursday, flooding streets, triggering a mudslide that destroyed homes and forcing residents to flee communities scorched by wildfires last year. (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms Stormy Daniels (C), the porn star who claims to have slept with US President Donald Trump over a decade ago, opens Berlin erotic fair "Venus" in Berlin on October 11, 2018. TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images) California storms A truck drives over a flooded freeway underpass in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. The National Weather Service says the atmospheric river sagged southward from Northern California overnight and is pointed at the southwestern corner of the state early Thursday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Still, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that officials received no calls for help overnight from hundreds of people who stayed in their homes instead of heeding evacuation orders.

No injuries were reported in the Guerneville area and by Wednesday night the rain had eased but about 3,500 people in two dozen river communities remained under evacuation orders.

Several areas in California set record-high rainfall totals, including nearby Santa Rosa, which had nearly 8 inches (20 centimetres) of rain in one day.

The often-waterlogged Venado weather station 5 miles (8 kilometres) from Guerneville recorded more than 20 inches (50 centimetres) of rain in 48 hours.

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Dozens of people were rescued from cars that became stranded after drivers tried to cross flooded roads.