California growers assess damage amid storms, flooding

Storms in California combined with already high river and creek levels and saturated ground to cause widespread flooding, waterlogging field crops and interfering with the almond blossom. Farmers are still taking stock of the damage from this week’s heavy storms that flooded fields, blew trees over and caused havoc with the almond blossom.Standing water was still in farm fields in the Sacramento Valley a week after heavy rain forced the evacuation of Maxwell, Calif., Colusa County agricultural officials said.In the Salinas Valley, the artichoke and cauliflower fields that weren’t under water after nearly 3 inches of weekend rainfall were so muddy that workers couldn’t get to them. The conditions slowed harvest and caused delays in planting.