Metro Fire rescues man from car swamped by floodwaters in SE Sacramento County
Metro Fire crews rescued a man from his car Tuesday night after it was overtaken by floodwaters on Kiefer Road in southeastern Sacramento County.
The motorist was driving about 6:30 p.m. near Kiefer Boulevard and Grant Line Road, just on the outskirts of Rancho Cordova, when his car became stranded in deep waters. The man climbed atop his car after firefighters were alerted.
Authorities said a roadside guardrail was the only thing standing between the man’s car and a perilous trip downstream.
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews needed a rescue boat to reach the man just before 8 p.m., finding him atop the roof. Rescuers took the man to dry ground unhurt, said Capt. Mark Nunez, a Metro Fire spokesperson, in a statement.
Kiefer Road between Grant Line and Jackson roads was closed for more than 24 hours as of Wednesday evening because of high water that reached 5 feet or more in places across the roadway, said the California Highway Patrol’s East Sacramento office.
Video from the California Highway Patrol’s East Sacramento office showed crews escorting the man to safety.
“Vehicles do not know how to swim well,” frustrated CHP East Sacramento officials said in a Facebook post.
“This evening we had to enlist the Water Rescue Team from Sac Metro Fire to assist yet another stranded motorist who decided it was okay to ignore the road closure signs, drive his Impala through the flooded area, and nearly get swept downstream,” CHP officials said. “A guardrail prevented the Chevy and its driver from being swept away.”
Metro Fire officials said the rescue served as a reminder not to drive through flooded roadways.
“Never attempt to drive through flooded roadways,” Nunez said. “It only takes a small amount of moving water to stall a vehicle or sweep it off the road.”
Officials offered several tips to drivers navigating wet weather: Do not drive around barricades on flooded roads. Turn around instead. Avoid areas prone to flooding during heavy rain. Slow down and increase following distance.
What may appear to be shallow water can hide debris, road damage or deep drop-offs, officials said.
“It only takes a small amount of moving water to stall a vehicle or move it off the road,” Metro Fire said.
The Bee’s Ishani Desai contributed to this story.
This story was originally published February 18, 2026 at 8:15 AM.
.JPG)