Northstate ranchers deal with flooding, storm damage

COTTONWOOD, Calif. — Flooding has caused people to evacuate their homes across the Northstate. Ranchers were also left with the challenge of getting their livestock such as horses, chickens and cows to higher ground.

Thursday morning, Cottonwood Creek was looking a lot less ferocious compared to the swelling which brought evacuations in Tehama County less than 24 hours before.

But while it seems quiet, ranchers like Troy Henderson are up before daylight and out working on storm damage.

"Mainly we've been cleaning up a lot of the wind damaged trees on certain parts of the ranch," Henderson explained.

Looking at a flooded field at the Holiday Ranch (HR Ranch) in Cottonwood, Henderson added there is a lot of work to do on the ranch this year compared to others.

Going on seven years as ranch manager, Henderson says this is the first time he has seen the water so high. He says the animals took notice to the flooding as well.

"They just kind of know where to go. About the highest spot we have when this little field gets flooded is the barn so they can go in there under the shed," Henderson said.

He added the ranch cattle were not on the property at the time of the flooding. "If the livestock are on our pastures they could be at risk but this time of year we don't have any cattle on these summer pastures."

As far as the feet of standing water on the property, Henderson says all they can do is wait for the water to go down.