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Evacuation orders are in place in parts of San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, warning of an “immediate threat to life.”
The orders come amid forecasts that parts of the Bay Area and the Santa Cruz and Santa Lucia Mountains could see up to 10 inches of precipitation through Thursday night. A strong wind warning is also in effect in the Bay Area until Wednesday afternoon. Statewide, more than 8 million people are subject to flood alerts, with a combination of torrential downpours and historic mountain snow hitting the region.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Deputies went door-to-door earlier this week to warn residents to leave the area before the storms, according to CNN affiliate KSBW.
“Please be careful and heed evacuation orders,” the sheriff’s office urged on Tuesday.
Twitter.
Potential for dangerous landslides
But it’s not just the strong winds and heavy rains that worry officials. Significant burn scars remain after the devastating wildfire season of 2020, meaning there is the potential for landslides. In Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, the CZU August Lightning complex burned more than 85,000 acres in the fall.
When forest fires consume land, they destroy vegetation that would otherwise absorb water and hold soil and debris in place. After millions of acres were burned in the state last year, that land is now more prone to flash floods and landslides.
And landslides can be extremely dangerous. On average, they kill between 25 and 50 people across the United States each year, according to the United States Geological Survey. Most of the deaths result from “rock falls, debris flows or volcanic debris flows,” according to the USGS.
In January 2018, at least 20 people lost their lives, dozens of homes were destroyed and hundreds more were damaged as a result of the landslides that devastated Montecito.
Resident Tina Button told KSBW that her family bought a motorhome specifically for situations like this.
“If we have to go, we have a place to live that we don’t have to pay for or worry about finding,” Button said. “Before, when we evacuated for the fires, we didn’t know where we were going to go.”
Heavy snowfall is also expected
Meanwhile, parts of the High Sierra can see up to 5 feet of snow this week, with a few areas seeing up to 7 feet of snow through Friday.
Caltrans, the state’s transportation agency, said they expected “blizzard and whiteout conditions” in parts of the Sierra.
“We cannot stress this enough – IF YOU HAVE NOT ARRIVED AT YOUR DESTINATION BEFORE SUNSET TONIGHT, TRIP TO THE SIERRA IS NOT ADVISED,” Caltrans wrote on
Twitter Tuesday. “Heavy snowfall is to be expected and whiteout conditions are expected. Please make smart travel choices.”
In Butte County, authorities reported that it had started to snow and warned residents to “take all precautions” when driving.
“Remember to slow down, watch for pavement hazards such as downed trees, power lines and other hazards,” Butte County Sheriff’s Office said.
said.
CNN’s Joe Sutton and Sarah Moon contributed to this report.
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