Storm-Battered California Gets More Wind, Rain And Snow

Pedestrians carrying umbrellas crossing in front of Cable Cars in San Francisco, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

BY JOHN ANTCZAK

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Storm-battered California got more wind, rain and snow on Saturday, raising flooding concerns, causing power outages and making travel dangerous.

Bands of rain with gusty winds started in the north and spread south, with more storms expected to follow into early next week, the National Weather Service said.

More than 68,000 utility customers were without electricity Saturday morning, a number that was cut by more than half during the afternoon, according to poweroutage.us.

Flood warnings were issued for the region north of San Francisco Bay, including Marin, Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

To the south, warnings were posted for parts of counties including San Mateo and Santa Cruz, where the tiny community of Felton Grove along the San Lorenzo River was ordered evacuated. Residents of semirural southeastern Sacramento County were warned that overnight flooding was likely and to be ready to leave.

The swollen Salinas River swamped farmland in Monterey County, and to the east, flood warnings were in effect for Merced County in the agricultural Central Valley, where Gov. Gavin Newsom visited to take stock of storm problems.

“The reality is that this is just the eighth of what we anticipate will be nine atmospheric rivers —- we’re not done,” Newsom said at a briefing with local leaders where he urged people to be vigilant about safety for the next 24 to 48 hours.

“This is happening all across California but I want to say ... you guys are disproportionately taking the brunt of it, and if you feel that way you’re right,” Newsom said.

Slick roads, snow and whiteout conditions plagued highways through the Sierra Nevada.

The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab tweeted Saturday morning that it received 21.3 inches (54 centimeters) of snow in 24 hours and that its snowpack of about 10 feet (3 meters) was expected to grow several more feet by Monday.

A backcountry avalanche warning was issued for the central Sierra, including the greater Lake Tahoe area.

A series of atmospheric rivers has dumped rain and snow on California since late December, cutting power to thousands, swamping roads, unleashing debris flows, and triggering landslides.

At least 19 storm-related deaths have occurred, and a 5-year-old boy remained missing after being swept out of his mother’s car by flood waters in San Luis Obispo County.

Half of the deaths have involved motorists, and some could have been prevented if drivers had heeded road closure signs, said Sean Duryee, acting commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, during a briefing by state and federal officials on Friday.

In Santa Barbara County, where a massive debris flow through the community of Montecito killed 23 people on Jan. 9, 2018, residents were told that new evacuations were not expected but that they should be prepared.

Montecito and adjacent areas were most recently ordered evacuated last Monday, the fifth anniversary of what is locally remembered as the “1/9 Debris Flow.” But the community perched on foothills of coastal mountains escaped serious harm.

In a visit to Montecito on Friday, Newsom asked residents to exercise caution, and to heed warnings from public safety officials.

“I know how fatigued you all are,” Newsom said. “Just maintain a little more vigilance over the course of the next weekend.”

Dry days are in next week’s forecast for California starting on Tuesday.

“Question will then become do we stay dry through the end of month?” the San Francisco Bay Area weather office wrote.

AP reporter Janie Har contributed from San Francisco. AP/Report for America writer Sophie Austin contributed from Mather, California.

Storm-Struck California Scrambles To Clean Up Ahead Of Rain

Floodwaters course through a neighborhood in Merced, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. Following days of rain, Bear Creek overflowed its banks leaving dozens of homes and vehicles surrounded by floodwaters. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

BY BRIAN MELLEY AND CHRISTOPHER WEBER

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Storm-ravaged California scrambled to clean up and repair widespread damage on Wednesday as the lashing rain eased in many areas, although the north could see thunderstorms and another powerful weather front was expected to hit the state Friday.

At least 17 people

have died in the storms battering the state. The figure is likely to rise, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday during a visit to the scenic town of Capitola on the Santa Cruz coast that was hard hit by high surf and flooding creek waters last week.

A pickup truck driver and a motorcyclist were killed early Tuesday in the San Joaquin Valley when a tree that had been struck by lightning fell on them, authorities said.

More than half of California’s 58 counties were declared disaster areas, the governor said.

The latest storm that began Monday was one in a series that began late last month and repairing the damage may cost more than $1 billion, said Adam Smith, a disaster expert with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Crews worked to reopen major highways that were closed by rockslides, swamped by flooding or smothered with mud while more than 10,000 people who were ordered out of seaside towns on the central coast were allowed to return home.

They included Montecito, a wealthy Santa Barbara County community that is home to Prince Harry and other celebrities where 23 people died and more than 100 homes were destroyed in a mudslide five years ago.

Yet thousands of people living near rain-swollen creeks and rivers remained under evacuation orders. In the San Joaquin Valley, raging waters from Bear Creek flooded parts of the city of Merced and neighboring Planada, a small agricultural community along a highway leading to Yosemite National Park.

All 4,000 residents of Planada were ordered to leave Tuesday morning. Neighborhoods were under water with cars submerged up to their roofs. Residents ordered to evacuate carried whatever they could salvage on their backs as they left in the rain.

Other evacuations were ordered because of levee breaches in parts of Monterey County.

The most recent atmospheric river — a long plume of moisture stretching into the Pacific that can drop staggering amounts of rain and snow — have eased in some areas. Light to moderate rain with some thunderstorms was forecast to arrive Wednesday in Northern California. A longer storm system was predicted to last from Friday until Jan. 17.

Despite the rain, most of the state remained in extreme or severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The storms may help locally “but will not resolve the long-term drought challenges,” said Rick Spinrad, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Damage from the storm included washed-out roads and seaside businesses flooded by 20-foot (6-meter) surf that pounded Santa Cruz County.

Many areas saw unprecedented amounts of rain coupled with furious winds and even hail and lightning that knocked down trees and damaged electrical lines.

More than 75,000 homes and businesses around the state were without power as of late Tuesday night, according to the website Poweroutage.us.

Mudslides damaged some homes in pricey Los Angeles hillside areas, while further up the coast a sinkhole damaged 15 homes in the rural Santa Barbara County community of Orcutt.

Kevin Costner, best-actor winner in a television drama series for “Yellowstone,” was unable to attend Tuesday’s Golden Globe awards in Los Angeles because of the weather. Presenter Regina Hall said he was sheltering in place in Santa Barbara due to flooding.

In San Francisco, a tree fell on a commuter bus on Tuesday without causing injuries and lightning struck the city’s iconic Transamerica Pyramid building without damage. High winds also ripped away part of the roof on a large apartment building.

Some people found themselves stranded in small communities inundated with water and mud.

“We’re all stuck out here,” Brian Briggs said, describing a scary night during which the deluge unleashed mudslides in remote Matilija Canyon that buried one house and cut off the only road to nearby Ojai. The canyon creek began to flood yards and the surrounding hills, which were stripped of vegetation in the 2017 Thomas Fire, began to tumble down in the dark.

Mudflows dragged sheds, gazebos and outhouses into the creek, Briggs said. After helping neighbors get to higher ground, he returned home to find his fence destroyed by waist-deep mud.

A helicopter dropped 10 sheriff’s deputies Tuesday to help the residents of dozens of canyon homes.

The wet and blustery weather left California’s large homeless population in a precarious situation. At least two homeless people in Sacramento County died and more than a dozen people were rescued from a homeless encampment on the Ventura River.

Theo Harris, who has lived on San Francisco’s streets since 2016, fortified his shelter with tarps and zip ties Tuesday and took in his girlfriend after her tent flooded.

“The wind has been treacherous, but you just got to bundle up and make sure you stay dry,” Harris said. “Rain is part of life. It’s going to be sunny. It’s going to rain. I just got to strap my boots up and not give up.”

Associated Press journalists John Antczak and Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles and Janie Har and Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco, Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento, Noah Berger in Merced and Seth Borenstein in Denver contributed to this report.

Governor Newsom to Californians: “Be Hyper-Vigilant”

Federal emergency declaration gets California more funding, equipment, and personnel

SACRAMENTO – As California enters the third week of severe winter storms, Governor Gavin Newsom is urging people to keep their guard up as strong winds and heavy rains continue to threaten communities across the state.

Last night, President Biden approved Governor Newsom’s request for a federal emergency declaration, activating the full weight of the federal government to support California’s storm response and recovery efforts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is making federal disaster assistance available to supplement local and state resources, including funding, equipment and personnel.

Earlier today, Governor Newsom was briefed by state emergency officials on the latest conditions and response efforts, and the Governor continues to actively monitor storm impacts.

Also today, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) brought together more than 400 community-based organizations throughout the state in a first-of-its-kind effort to mobilize resources with a special emphasis on delivering help to vulnerable communities – unsheltered individuals, those with disabilities and older Californians.

As of Monday afternoon, winter storms have claimed the lives of 14 Californians – more lives than wildfires in the past two years combined.

“Our message to Californians is simple: be hyper-vigilant,” said Governor Newsom. “There are still several days of severe winter weather ahead and we need all Californians to be alert and heed the advice of emergency officials. Thanks to the President signing off on our request for emergency declaration, we are mobilizing all available resources at every level of government to protect lives and limit storm damage. Today marks five years since the deadly Montecito mudslides that claimed 23 lives – as Montecito faces evacuations today, it’s a solemn reminder of how quickly conditions can change.”

On Sunday, the Governor announced $202 million in new investments for long-term flood prevention proposed in the upcoming state budget. Also yesterday, Governor Newsom visited two sites along Deer Creek in Sacramento County to highlight the state’s work to repair damage from earlier storms and prepare for incoming severe weather.

The state is working to support the most vulnerable Californians with 11 shelters statewide along with an additional 20 shelters that are prestaged and on standby. Temporary shelter, food and additional resources are available at these sites and all are welcome. No ID is required.

Weather Forecast

Heavy rainfall is forecasted throughout the state Tuesday and northern California on Wednesday, increasing the potential for flooding given saturated soils from the previous two weeks of precipitation. According to the National Weather Service, rainfall levels are 400-600% above average across California.

Emergency Alerts

Californians are reminded to dial 2-1-1 or 3-1-1 to get help or ask questions. If you have a critical emergency, call 911.

Staying informed by signing up for emergency alerts including warnings and evacuation notices. Go to CalAlerts.org to sign up to receive alerts from your county officials.

Download the Caltrans QuickMap app to receive real-time notifications for road closures, emergencies, and other traffic updates. You can download the app here.

You can also view real-time information on anticipated river floodings here.

Images of Storm in Southern Cali

Snowboarders trudge through freshly fallen snow in Green Valley Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains. Photo by Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times



trucker heading north on the 5 Freeway has a view of snow-dusted mountains in the Angeles National Forest north of Sylmar. Photo by Al Seib/Los Angeles Times


As the sunrise illuminates the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, a person captures the scene while on a morning walk at Bolsa Chica State Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach. Photo by Allen J. Schaben/ Los Angeles Times



Palm trees drooping under the weight of snow greeted shoppers at the nearly deserted Antelope Valley Mall. Photo by Brian Vander Brug/L.A. Times