Ron Brackett
A powerful storm is pummeling California with high winds, flooding rain and feet of snow.
At least two people — an infant and a 19-year-old woman — have been killed since a storm fueled by an atmospheric river slammed into the state on Wednesday. It is expected to continue through today with more storms arriving during the weekend.
Evacuations have been ordered in areas prone to mudslides and debris flows.
(More: Here Is The Latest Forecast For The Area)
“We anticipate that this may be one of the most challenging and impactful series of storms to touch down in California in the last five years,” said Nancy Ward, the new director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Here are our updates from Thursday:
(5:29 p.m. ET) One Person Rescued From Swift Water
The Ventura County Fire Department and the Oxnard Fire Department in California rescued one person by helicopter after receiving a report of victims trapped in swift water. Two other people self-rescued before help arrived.
(4:20 p.m. ET) Landslide Closes Portion Of Pacific Coast Highway
The slide occurred Thursday just south of Ragged Point.A portion of the Pacific Coast Highway was shut down after a landslide Thursday morning, the California Department of Transportation said. The slide occurred at Polar Star, a mile south of Ragged Point at the southern end of Big Sur.
(4 p.m. ET) A Look Inside Damaged Capitola Bar
New images posted to Twitter by San Jose Mercury News reporter Ethan Baron showed the aftermath of water in the Sand Bar in Capitola. In another image, pieces of the damaged pier were left behind in an alley outside the bar after the floodwaters receded.
(3:30 p.m. ET) San Francisco Has Wettest 10-Day Stretch In 152 Years
The National Weather Service said Thursday that Dec. 26 through Jan. 4 was the wettest 10-day period for San Francisco since 1871. The city received 10.33 inches of rain during that 10-day stretch. The record, set in January 1862, was 14.37 inches over 10 days.
(3:05 p.m. ET) Flooding Worsens In Rio Del Mar
Video shared to social media showed coastal flooding worsening in areas of Rio Del Mar, located along Monterey Bay.
(1:52 p.m. ET) Dam's Spillway Appears To Be Safe Now
Emergency officials in San Benito County said the North Fork Dam is safe and water levels on the Pacheco Creek have peaked.
The water did not get above flood stage or reach any danger point, according to KSBW-TV.
Earlier there had been concerns that the dam's spillway could be comprised if water began to spill over it.
With more rain expected, officials will continue to monitor the water levels and the evacuation warnings remain in place.
(1:25 p.m. ET) Big Waves Damage Piers Along Santa Cruz Coast
Huge surf and high tides are causing severe damage to piers in Capitola and Aptos on the Santa Cruz coastline.
The fishing pier at Seacliff State Beach in Aptos appears to have a section that has collapsed. Also, the iconic cement ship at the end of the pier has broken away, according to KRON-TV.
The ship, the S. S. Palo Alto, was built with reinforced concrete after World War I to replace ships lost to German submarines, according to localsantacruz.com. It was completed before the war's end, and concrete ships fell out of favor. In 1930 it was towed to the Seacliff beach where its owners turned it into a pleasure ship with a dance floor, swimming pool, cafe and gambling. The venture failed in 1932 and the ship was sold to the state for $1.
Public access to the ship was closed in 2001.
The California Highway Patrol said the flooding was spreading into coastal roads in Aptos as well.
Portions of the Capitola Wharf also collapsed Thursday morning, and water was flowing into businesses along the oceanfront.
The city of Santa Cruz also evacuated the Santa Cruz Wharf, which will be closed until further notice, KSBW-TV reported.
The city also closed parts of West Cliff Drive.
“These intense waves are pushing large rocks onto the road as well,” the city said in a statement. “Please be careful near any bodies of water as we still have high wind advisories, and there could be dangerous conditions.”
(1:02 p.m. ET) Evacuation Ordered In Mission Fields
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office has issued an Evacuation Order for residents near the Carmel River Lagoon effective immediately until further notice.
(11:29 a.m. ET) Five Families Displaced When Tree Hits Apartments
Five families have been forced to move to hotels after a large eucalyptus tree crashed into their apartment building in Oakland overnight.
"I thought it was an earthquake really," Victoria James told KTVU. "Everything just rattled and, and then it went black."
Neither she nor her children were injured when the tree hit the building on Lynde Street, but the ceilings are busted and her bedroom has a hole in it.
The city is paying for hotel rooms for James' family and four others.
(11:15 a.m. ET) Road Washed Away In Alameda County
Redwood Road in unincorporated Alameda County is closed at mile marker 8.15 because of flooding, mudslides and other issues. The county says it will remain closed until further notice.(11:04 a.m. ET) First Look At Damage In San Mateo County
The CAL FIRE San Mateo - Santa Cruz Unit has shared video of some of the damage being seen near the coast in San Mateo County.
"Our firefighters were responding to non-stop calls until the early morning hours," the agency said in a tweet.
(10:54 a.m. ET) Mudslides, Rockslides Blocking Highways
A mudslide is blocking a northbound lane on State Highway 1 north of the Monterey Road onramp in Pacifica, the Police Department said in a tweet. Sharp Park Road is an alternate route.
In Santa Barbara County, State Highway 154 is closed from Highway 246 to Highway 192 because of multiple rock and mudslides, according to Caltrans.
State Highway 23, also known as Decker Road, in Malibu is closed in both directions from State Highway 1 (PCH) to Decker School Road because of a rock slide.
(10:34 a.m. ET) Trailer Park Residents Again Flee Flood
Residents of the Mirabel trailer park along the Russian River in Sonoma County are once again preparing to leave their community.
County officials have ordered evacuations for all residents living near the Russian River floodway and its tributaries from Healdsburg to Jenner.
In February 2019, the Russian River reached its highest level in 25 years, cutting off two towns and swamping more than 2,600 homes, businesses and other buildings.
Now the river is again threatening to spill out of its banks. The current forecast predicts the river will crest at 33 feet overnight tonight. It's predicted to go back below flood stage Friday afternoon. Then, on Sunday into Monday, it could rise to 40 feet.
That has the 35 residents of Mirabel hitching up their trailers and preparing to be gone for two weeks or more. In addition to the river, the area is also threatened by the possibility of mudslides and debris flows from burn scars.
“If you want the beauty, you have to deal with the pain,” Steven Owens told the Washington Post as he helped hitch his mother’s trailer to a pickup truck.
Duncan Stewart explained to the Post how difficult leaving can be.
“It’s an absolute nightmare. I am 73, and I don’t take too well to this. Basically, everyone is up for themselves and not much more.”
As he packed belongings and made plans to have his trailer towed to higher ground, Stewart said, “I’ve had enough. I am just too old.”
(9:33 a.m. ET) Recent Storms Have Improved Drought Slightly
Thanks to the recent rounds of storms, none of California remains under exceptional drought.
The U.S. Drought Monitor released Thursday morning showed declines in the top three levels of drought in the state. Despite those declines, most of the state remains in moderate or severe drought conditions.
More than 7% of the state was experiencing exceptional drought conditions as of Dec. 27. That fell to 0% as of Tuesday.
The portion of the state in extreme drought fell from more than 35% to slightly more than 27%.
The state's snowpack is also off to a great start.
Statewide, snowpack is at 173% of the historical average for this year, the third-best measurement in the past 40 years, officials announced earlier this week.
“While we see a terrific snowpack — and that in and of itself may be an opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief — we are by no means out of the woods when it comes to drought,” Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, said Tuesday.
A great start doesn't mean a great finish, however.
Last year, the statewide snowpack was at 160% of average at the first survey. By April 1 — after the three driest months ever recorded in California — the snow was just 38% of historic average.
Roughly a third of California’s water each year comes from melted snow in the Sierra Nevada.
(9:13 a.m. ET) Flooding In Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Police Department reports the Sepulveda Basin has been shut down because of high water levels.
The flood-control basin is a recreation area along the Los Angeles River in Encino.
The department also said multiple streets throughout the city are flooded.
(8:57 a.m. ET) Large Tree Falls On Oakland Apartment Building
A large eucalyptus tree fell onto a three-story apartment building on Lynde Street in Oakland early Thursday, according to KNTV.
Falling Redwood Kills Infant
A baby was killed when high winds toppled a redwood tree onto a mobile home a little after 5 p.m. Wednesday in the town of Occidental in Sonoma County, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Josh Cerda, a firefighter with the Occidental Volunteer Fire Department, told the newspaper three other people in the house were injured slightly.
Crash On Slick Street Kills Woman
A 19-year-old woman died after her car hit standing water and ran into a utility pole at about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in Fairfield, about 40 miles northeast of San Francisco, according to the Chronicle.
Over 180,000 Without Power
Wind gusts, some as high as 85 mph, are contributing to power outages in Central and Northern California. More than 181,000 homes and businesses had lost electricity as of 5 a.m. PST, according to poweroutage.us.
In Washington state, more than 25,000 customers were without electricity Thursday morning.
Falling Tree Hurts Motorist
A motorist was injured when a tree fell onto their car in Pacifica, California, on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Pacifica Police Department. It was one of several downed trees in the city in San Mateo County.Governor Declares State Of Emergency
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday proclaimed a state of emergency throughout the state because of the storms.
“California is mobilizing to keep people safe from the impacts of the incoming storm,” Newsom said in a press release. “This state of emergency will allow the state to respond quickly as the storm develops and support local officials in their ongoing response.”
San Benito County Dam Spillway Compromised
Evacuations were ordered along Pacheco Creek in San Benito County because water was expected to top the spillway of the North Fork Dam in San Benito County near Hollister. Residents downstream of the dam were advised to move to higher ground.
Trees Topple Onto Interstate
Several 80-foot trees toppled onto Interstate 280 on Wednesday, January 4, 2023, blocking southbound lanes near Skyline Boulevard in San Bruno, California.120-Foot Cypress Tree Kills Santa Cruz Resident
A falling tree killed a 72-year-old person at Lighthouse Field State Beach in Santa Cruz, California, during the New Year's weekend storm.
The incident happened at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday, according to KRON.
A passerby saw the 120-foot cypress tree lying on the person and called 911, the Santa Cruz Police Department said in an Instagram post.
No other information about the victim was released.
Three Bodies Found in Sacramento County
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday it had found the body of a third person killed during storms over the New Year's weekend.
It was found Wednesday evening as deputies continued work to recover cars stranded during the flooding from the storms. The body was found in a car along New Hope Road in Galt, according to KXTV.
Wednesday morning, officers also found the body of an older woman about 2,000 feet away from Dillard Road.
That was near where the first body was found Sunday morning in a car. A helicopter spotted the car off Dillard Road near Highway 99.
200 Children Evacuated From Camp
About 200 children were evacuated from a science camp in Boulder Creek Wednesday after officials became concerned that a small bridge leading to the camp could collapse.
The bridge crosses the San Lorenzo River.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office told KSBW the children were loaded onto Santa Cruz Metro buses and returned to their homes.
Rockslides Close Highway 1
Flowing water, rockslides and debris have forced the closure of a 60-mile stretch of California Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway.
The road is closed from just south of Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn in Monterey County to a parking lot by the elephant seals viewing area in San Luis Obispo County some four miles north of San Simeon.
Santa Clara County Evacuations
Officials in Santa Clara County issued evacuation warnings to people living in parts of the Pacheco Pass River Basin and in the watershed areas of the Uvas Reservoir.
Sonoma County Evacuations
The Sonoma County Operational Area Emergency Operations Center has issued an evacuation warning for all residents living near the Russian River floodway and its tributaries from Healdsburg to Jenner.
The current forecast predicts the river will crest at 33 feet Thursday night into the early hours on Friday. The river is predicted to go back below flood stage Friday afternoon. However, the Russian River will flood again at 40 feet Sunday night into Monday.
Santa Barbara County Evacuations
Residents living in the burn-scarred areas of the Alisal, Thomas and Cave fires were ordered to evacuate because of the potential for flooding and debris flows.
Alameda County Recommends Evacuation
Alameda County officials recommended that residents living on Kilkare Road, Palomares Road or Niles Canyon Road leave their homes because of saturated soils and runoff.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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