Schools closed day after flooding shuts major highway

CHUALAR, Calif. (AP) - Several schools remain closed Thursday in Northern California town after heavy rain led to flooding on a major highway in Monterey County, officials said.

Several roads near Gonzalez Unified School District schools were closed a day after a heavy downpour led to a six-hour closure Wednesday of Highway 101 near Chualar, a community of about 1,000 people 120 miles (190 kilometers) south of San Francisco, school officials said in a statement.

At least five homes were flooded and an elementary school was unreachable for several hours after nearby roads became impassable. The flooding in some parts reached four-feet deep, officials said.

Another storm is forecast to reach the area Friday.