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Evacuations were carried out for thousands of California residents on Tuesday as an atmospheric river neared the coast, resulting in unusually heavy rainfall and widespread power outages.
More than 345,000 were without power as of Wednesday morning, according to the PowerOutage.US tracker.
WINTER WEATHER TRAILS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WITH MULTIPLE STORMS BRINGING SNOW, RAIN AND BLIZZARDS
As of 10 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, utility company Pacific Gas and Electric Co. reported that up to 38,000 customers in the Bay Area were without power.
Evacuation orders are in place for San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, although many residents have told authorities they will not leave their homes – although Cal Fire has warned of unsafe conditions .
The state emergency services office has organized emergency personnel in five counties, according to the Associated Press.
As officials worry about flooding and landslides would have already released debris In burn scars from some of the state’s largest wildfires, rare snowstorm-like snow is also a concern in the Sierra Nevada.
“We cannot stress this enough,” the California Department of Transportation District 3 wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. “If you have not arrived at your destination before sunset this evening, it is not advisable to travel to the Sierra. Heavy snowfall is expected and whiteout conditions are forecast.”
According to the National Weather Service, up to 10 feet of snow is expected in the mountains, with many locations subject to winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories.
Some lower elevations, like Sonoma County, have seen snowfall in the past.
The threat closed both Interstate 5 on the Grapevine and Highway 1.
Winds in California have blown at speeds of up to 77 mph, with reports of fallen branches, according to SFGate.
Charles Bogray evacuates from his Boulder Creek home near the CZU Lightning Complex Fire area in Santa Cruz County, Calif., On Tuesday, January 26, 2021 (AP Photo / Noah Berger)
(AP)
As the front moves inland, the service has designated part of the region as being at “moderate risk” and a flash flood alert has been posted as the central coast expects rainfall ranging from from 10 to 14 inches over the next 72 hours.
In the wake of the worst fire season in California history, experts warned that a storm of this magnitude could wreak new havoc.
Forest fires destroy vegetation that would normally absorb some moisture and hold debris in place.
The Santa Cruz and San Mateo CZU Lightning Complex fire burned 86,509 acres last August, The Mercury News reported on Tuesday.
It’s an area that has seen debris flows and landslides before, and more than 20 people died in January 2018 when a debris flow hit Montecito.
The US Geological Survey indicates that an average of 25 to 50 people are killed by landslides each year in the United States.
Even more rainfall is expected on Friday. While storms could contribute to the state’s longstanding drought, the Bay Area will see more rain in 24 hours than last year.
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“The storm we feared is here and the time to act is now,” Santa Cruz County Communications Manager Jason Hoppin said Tuesday.
The storm comes just over a week after strong winds hit homes, shutting down Yosemite National Park. The park’s closure has since been extended to at least January 30.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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