Major flooding from storm prompts evacuation warnings in California

Evacuation warnings were issued in rural Northern California on New Year’s Day after powerful storms brought heavy rain or heavy snow to the state, breaching levees, snarling traffic and closing highways.

Heavy flooding occurred in an agricultural area about 32 kilometers south of Sacramento, where rivers swam beyond their banks and flooded dozens of cars along State Route 99. Emergency crews rescued motorists on New Year’s Eve into Sunday morning and highways remain closed.

Residents of low-lying communities in Point Pleasant, Glanville Tract and Franklin Pond near Interstate 5 were told to prepare to leave before more roads were cut off as water rose and evacuation became impossible.

“Flood from the Cosumnes River and Mokelumne River is expected to move southwest toward I-5 and could reach the area by midnight,” the Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services said on Twitter Sunday afternoon. “Livestock in affected areas should be moved to higher ground.”

North of the state capital, crews cleared downed trees from roads and sidewalks as at least 33,000 customers remained without power Sunday, down from more than 150,000 the previous day, according to the Sacramento City Utility District’s online map.

Near Lake Tahoe, dozens of drivers were rescued on New Year’s Eve along Interstate 80 after their cars spun out in the snow during the snowstorm, the California Department of Transportation said. The main route into the mountain from the San Francisco Bay Area reopened early Sunday to passenger vehicles with chains.

“The road is very slippery so let’s work together and slow down to keep I-80 open,” the California Highway Patrol said on Twitter. Several other roads, including State Route 50, were also reopened.

More than 1.2 meters of snow has increased in the high Sierra Nevada, and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area said heavy, wet snow will cause a major delay in the opening of the chairlift. On Saturday, the resort reported many lift closures, due to high winds, low visibility and ice.

The so-called atmospheric river storms are drawn in a plume of long and wide moisture from the Pacific Ocean. Flooding and rock slides closed parts of the country’s roads.

Rainfall in downtown San Francisco reached 13.87 centimeters on New Year’s Eve, making it the second wettest day on record, after the November 1994 flood, the National Weather Service said. Videos on Twitter showed muddy water flowing down a San Francisco street, and a staircase in Oakland turned into a waterfall due to heavy rain.

In Southern California, several people were rescued after flooding flooded cars in San Bernardino and Orange counties. No major injuries were reported.

With the area dry on New Year’s Day and no rain expected during Monday’s Rose Parade in Pasadena, spectators began lining the grounds for the annual floral display.

Rain is welcome in parched California. The past three years have been the driest on record in the country – but more rain is needed to make a significant difference.

It is the first of several storms expected to pass through the country over the course of a week. The system was warmer and wetter, while this week’s storms will be cooler, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

The Sacramento area could receive a total of 10 to 13 centimeters of rain during the week, Chandler-Cooley said.

Another round of heavy rain is also forecast for Southern California on Tuesday or Wednesday, the Los Angeles area office of the National Weather Service said.