FORESTVILLE, CA (AP) — A huge storm that killed two people and left hundreds of thousands without power in the Pacific Northwest continued to dump heavy snow and record-breaking rain on Friday as it pushed across Northern California, blocking roads and forcing evacuations in some regions.
Numerous flights were postponed at San Francisco’s airport as forecasters warned that there would still be a possibility of rockslides and flash flooding.
While workers cleared streets of fallen branches, electrical lines, and debris, over 185,000 residents in Washington state—mostly in the Seattle area—remained without electricity. The disruptions started on Tuesday and might continue into Saturday, according to utility authorities. Along with gusty winds, the National Weather Service issued a high surf advisory for Friday, citing the possibility of substantial beach erosion due to huge ocean waves of 20 to 24 feet (six to 7.3 meters).
In the meantime, New York and New Jersey welcomed much-needed rain that may reduce the risk of fire for the remainder of the year on the East Coast, where infrequent wildfires have raged.
This season’s strongest atmospheric river—a lengthy plume of precipitation that originates over an ocean and runs through the sky over land—flooded the area north of San Francisco, prompting the National Weather Service to prolong a flood watch into Saturday.
A pedestrian walks along a flooded street during a storm Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Santa Rosa, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Image: Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
In addition to warning locals to anticipate interruptions during Friday morning and afternoon commutes, the weather service reported flooding and road closures in the North Bay. The meteorological service reported early Friday that rain gauges are recording a few tenths to 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of rain so far, indicating that rain rates have increased and drifted southward throughout the San Francisco Peninsula to the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Throughout the week, the sheriff’s office in Humboldt County warned people to be ready for the effects of the storm and issued evacuation orders. According to the California Department of Transportation, flooding closed Highway 1, also called the Pacific Coast Highway, in Mendocino County north of Point Arena at the Garcia River. The department did not provide an estimated time of reopening.
As an abomb cyclone, which happens when a cyclone intensifies quickly, the system rushed ashore Tuesday. It released strong winds that killed at least two people in Washington by toppling trees onto roads, cars, and houses.
Warming centers with free wifi and device charging were established by local communities in Washington. Power shortages caused some medical clinics to close.
I arrived here in the middle of the 1980s. As she inspected the damaged residences, Trish Bloor, a city of Issaquah official, remarked, “I haven’t seen anything like this.”
Through Friday, southwestern Oregon and northern California counties were expected to receive up to 16 inches (nearly 41 cm) of rain.
The wettest day on record since 1998 occurred in Santa Rosa, which received 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) of rain in the past 24 hours.
almost the course of the last 48 hours, the unincorporated village of Venado received over 12.7 inches (32.3 cm) and the Sonoma County Airport, located in the wine area north of San Francisco, received almost 11 inches (28 centimeters).
Officials cautioned that flash flooding, rockslides, and debris flows might occur, particularly in areas where previous wildfires had softened the hillsides. In regions where the Park Fire burned this summer, the ground has so far been able to absorb the rain, according to Scott Rowe, a hydrologist with the Sacramento meteorological service.
According to Rowe, the speed at which the rain falls is more important than its quantity.
The northern Sierra Nevada above 3,500 feet (1,070 meters) was under a winter storm watch, which may bring 15 inches (38 cm) of snow over two days. Forecasters warned that in mountainous regions, wind gusts might reach 75 mph (121 kph).
More than 12,000 power disruptions were reported in California.
According to the California Department of Transportation, snow caused authorities to restrict traffic on a portion of northbound Interstate 5 between Redding and Yreka. A 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) section of the picturesque Avenue of the Giants, which is known for its tall coast redwoods, was also closed by officials because of floods.
FlightAware, a tracking service, reports that early Friday at San Francisco International Airport, over 40 planes were delayed and roughly 12 were canceled.
In contrast, the Northeast received a much-needed boost of precipitation, offering some relief in an area beset by wildfires and running out of water supplies. By Saturday morning, more than two inches (5 cm) of snow were predicted north of New York City, with snow mixed in at higher elevations.
Any rainfall will be substantial, but the storm won’t be sufficient to relieve the drought, according to weather service meteorologist Brian Ciemnecki in New York City, which last week received its first drought warning in 22 years.
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Weber reported from Los Angeles, and Har from San Francisco. Contributions were made by Associated Press writers Sarah Brumfield in Washington, D.C.; Michael Hill in Albany, New York; Martha Bellisle in Issaquah, Washington; and Hallie Golden and Gene Johnson in Seattle.
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