More flooding expected across California as deadly storms return; Monterey could be cut off
California is nearing the home stretch of an onslaught of storms that left no part of the state untouched — flooding towns, causing widespread power outages and killing at least 19 people.
But before the wet weather ends, the state is facing a third consecutive weekend of strong wind, heavy rain and likely flooding. The storms are expected to tail off starting Tuesday, and most of the state should have drier weather by Thursday.
Until then, officials are warning residents to remain vigilant and prepare for the next few days.
“Let me emphasize we are not out of the woods yet,” said Nancy Ward, director of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. “The threat to communities remains and waters will continue to rise even after the storms have passed.”
On Friday, Ward spoke alongside state and federal agencies to provide an update on what she called one of the “most deadly natural disasters in the modern history of our state.” The state has averaged nine inches of rain over the last 18 days, according to the National Weather Service.
As of Friday, 6,000 people remain under evacuation orders and 20,000 people are without power.
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for the state’s successive storms and flooding on Monday. Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell spoke with Biden Wednesday and said she would do so again after examining Friday’s damage.
“He’s very focused on making sure that there are no barriers and that we don’t let bureaucracy get in the way,” Criswell said.
In the Sacramento Valley, yet another atmospheric river storm will bring flood risks and gusts approaching 40 mph.
Along the coast, officials continue looking for the body of a 5-year-old boy who was swept away by floodwaters in San Luis Obispo County on Monday. The region has already sustained major damage, with more severe weather forecasted for the weekend.
“What makes this storm series so unique, it’s not isolated by any stretch of the imagination..We’re dealing with a scale that we’ve never dealt with,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom, who spent the afternoon in Santa Barbara to offer support for storm preparedness efforts.
And in the San Joaquin Valley, as another storm looms, residents are still grappling with devastation to their flooded communities.
“The garage, everything is destroyed,” said Maria Zaragoza, 53, whose home in rural Merced County flooded this week. “It’s going to cost a lot.”
Driving in Sierra is highly discouraged
Northern California’s final round of storms began Friday morning, with the worst weather forecast for the weekend and into Monday morning.
A flood watch is in place from 10 a.m. Saturday through 7 a.m. Sunday for much of the northern state, including the Sacramento Valley. Winds will also increase Saturday with gusts up to 35 to 45 mph across the valley and up to 55 mph over the mountains, according to the National Weather Service Sacramento.
Across the Sierra Nevada and Cascades, between 3 to 6 feet of snow is expected Friday to Tuesday, with mountain gusts up to 50 mph.
Mountain travel is “highly discouraged,” according to the weather service, which tweeted Friday afternoon that conditions deteriorated rapidly. Highway closures due to whiteout conditions are likely.
The storms bashing Northern California have also led to power outages for hundreds of thousands of people, including San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle, who wrote on Twitter that he was without power for four days.
“I’ve been without power going on 4 days. A lil help would be appreciated thanks. Just trying to prepare for something this weekend,” he tweeted, referring to the Niners’ wild-card matchup with the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday.
In Sacramento, SMUD has restored electricity to almost all of the 350,000 homes and businesses that lost power during strong winds last weekend. As of Friday afternoon, SMUD reported only 566 customers are still without power.
Central Valley: More flooding is expected
In the Central Valley, all eyes will be on Merced’s Bear Creek and the San Joaquin River, where emergency officials said another round of rainstorms could lead to flooding by Saturday evening.
Other major waterways in the Fresno area are also expected to reach flooding levels, state officials said Friday.
Showers began Friday morning, and the storm is expected to intensify into the evening, according to Jim Bagnall, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Valley office in Hanford.
The weather service expects Merced to receive up to an inch of rain Saturday. Fresno could get as much as 1.5 inches.
That forecast comes days after widespread flooding throughout Merced and Planada, a nearby unincorporated community of 4,000. The rainstorms led to mandatory evacuations in both areas, with thousands seeking shelter at the Merced County Fairgrounds.
On Thursday morning, many residents returned to their waterlogged homes. Zaragoza came home to carpets soaked with floodwater.
With more rain on the way, Merced city officials are asking residents to stay off the roads, waterways and creek areas.
“The previous storm resulted in issues that required the city’s immediate remediation. This work is critical to preparing for the upcoming storm, “ Merced City Manager Stephanie Dietz said in a statement to the Merced Sun-Star. “The city is asking community members, and other interested members of the public, to stay clear of these sites currently under construction until work is completed and the creek banks no longer pose a hazard.”
Rising flood threats from the San Joaquin River have also prompted an evacuation warning to residents near Patterson in western Stanislaus County.
The warning zone is on both sides of the river between Grayson Road and Marshall Road. Its western edge is Cox Road and Elm Avenue. The eastern boundary is as far as Carpenter Road.
Coast: Search continues for missing boy
State officials are preparing for the possibility of a complete cut-off of the Monterey Peninsula, isolating residents from the rest of California.
Monterey County residents were advised to prepare for major roadways to be closed due to flooding between Thursday night and Sunday morning if excess water spills across state Highway 1 and Highway 68. Areas affected would include Monterey, Carmel and Pacific Grove.
This last happened in 1995, when flooding turned the Monterey Peninsula into an “island.”
“It is possible that we will need to close the central roads and so please stay aware of your surroundings and what is going on in the area in which you are traveling,” said Mike Keever, chief deputy director for the California Department of Transportation.
Meanwhile, the search for 5-year-old Kyle Doan, a kindergartner at Lillian Larsen Elementary School, entered its fifth day.
Doan was on his way to school on Monday morning with his mother, when their vehicle became trapped in the San Marcos Creek. The mother was able to escape with the help of neighbors, but Doan disappeared.
Doan’s missing body has led to confusion on the state’s official death count.
Ward said the count remains at 19 because Doan is defined as a missing individual until his body is found and confirmed with the coroner’s office.
In his closing comments on Friday, Newsom asked Californians to respect Mother Nature this weekend and to use common sense.
“Be vigilant,” Newsom said. ‘If you have an intuitive feeling that something just ain’t right, about driving left versus right, just don’t do it. Just work through this weekend.
This story was originally published January 13, 2023 at 5:21 PM with the headline "More flooding expected across California as deadly storms return; Monterey could be cut off."
