Atmospheric River Downpour Leads To Santa Cruz County Evacuation Warnings – CBS San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A cloud of atmospheric subtropical river moisture that stalled over the San Francisco Bay Area on Monday triggered steady downpours, gusts of wind of 40 miles per hour or more, minor rock slides, and localized flooding on roads.
The heavy rainfall in the southern part of the Bay Area has resulted in authorities issuing multiple flood warnings and warnings.
Early Monday evening, Santa Cruz County announced that areas of the CZU Burn Scar, Felton Grove and Paradise Park were under an evacuation warning due to heavy rains that began to fall on Sunday.
Due to heavy rainfall, parts of the CZU Burn Scar, Felton Grove and Paradise Park were placed under an evacuation warning. If you are feeling insecure or need extra time to leave, now is the time to make arrangements. This is just a warning. https://t.co/0HS4Yp39mW #knowyourzone pic.twitter.com/pskxebV0yf
– Santa Cruz County (@sccounty) December 14, 2021
Residents evacuating are asked to follow these steps:
- Follow the instructions of the local authorities, including for travel routes.
- Wear protective clothing and sturdy shoes.
- Take your emergency go-bag or emergency supply kit with you.
- Lock your home
- Turn off the water, gas, and electricity when prompted.
- Let others know when you left and where you are going.
- Make arrangements for pets and livestock if necessary.
Residents can use the Zonehaven.com website to check that they are in the evacuation warning area.
The National Weather Service previously issued a Flash Flood Watch for the fire area of the CZU Lightning Complex, which includes the southern part of San Mateo County and the northern part of Santa Cruz County. The clock went into effect on Monday at 4 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m.
An earlier flash flood warning was issued at 10:51 a.m. for the fire area of the CZU Lightning Complex in San Mateo County
“Doppler radar and automatic rain gauges indicated that heavy rainfall was falling over the fire area of the CZU Lightning Complex,” said the National Weather Service. “The expected rate of precipitation is 0.5 to 1 inch in 1 hour. Flash floods are underway or are expected to begin shortly. “
The flash flood warning expired at 11:45 a.m. and was downgraded to a flood warning. An additional flood warning issued to more of the area, including San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties, expired at 12:15 p.m.
The San Lorenzo River has risen and the fast-flowing streams carry large logs and debris that have not been washed away by the drain in years.
It was an impressive show, even for the locals.
“This is wild! Just wild. Kind of exciting, ”said Andrea Randall from Boulder Creek.
Randall came out to see the river after her own house was flooded. The drain behind their house flooded the culvert and flowed into the family
Kitchen a few inches deep.
“It was like a flash flood, like everyone worried about just getting through. So much water in such a short time, ”says Matt Randall.
The storm made driving particularly treacherous. Flooding occurred in numerous places on Highway 9 as storm drains flooded trenches.
“It was really hard. It flooded the street and fell on our property, ”said Harry Clark, a resident of Boulder Creek.
Street teams hopped from place to place and cleared the gullies.
There were also a number of mudslides. One blocked a lane on Southbound 17 near Sugarloaf Road.
However, some local residents weren’t too surprised by the persistent downpour of the atmospheric river.
“It’s a good storm, but it’s not uncommon for here in the mountains,” said Troyan Lean of Boulder Creek.
The Bay Area National Weather Service office also released new information on Monday afternoon about the flash flood surveillance that was in effect for fire areas in Monterey County.
The weather service said the watch would be in effect from 7:00 p.m. Monday evening through 1:00 a.m. Tuesday morning in the scars of the River, Carmel, Dolan and Coleman fires.
UPDATED FLASH FLOOD CLOCKS FOR COMBUSTION AREAS pic.twitter.com/Rm7Z3sqw5c
– NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) December 13, 2021
Monterey County authorities had previously issued an evacuation warning for the Dolan Fire scars area and areas in and around River Road in Salinas around 5 p.m. Sunday until Tuesday morning as the atmospheric river storm system brought heavy rain to the county on Sunday.
Forecasters said rainfall is likely to hit thresholds for increased risk of debris flow activity, particularly in areas near the fires in August 2020. Properties and people located below or downstream of the fire areas are at increased risk.
Areas affected by the alert are Pine Canyon Road, Trimble Hill, Mesa Road, Manzanita Way, Wildwood Way, Redding Drive., Belmont Circle, the southwest end of Berry Drive, Limekiln Road, and the 800 Block of River Road.
Highway 1 was closed at Deetjens Big Sur Resort (Postmile 42.1) and Ragged Point on Sunday from 8 p.m.
The lockdown should remain in effect until Tuesday, then the transit agency will review the conditions.
Caltrans said it is working with local authorities to minimize travel to Big Sur so residents and businesses can evacuate in the safest of conditions. Highway 1 is closed at the request of the California Highway Patrol.
Floods forced the closure of Highway 92 between Highway 1 and State Route 35 in both directions.
HIGHWAY 92 CLOSED: ⚠️ Highway 92 is flooded from Spanish Town to 12000 block (at Repetto’s Greenhouse Florist) #CaWx #California #TurnAroundDontDrown pic.twitter.com/WwG0YRouN2
– CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) December 13, 2021
Cal Fire later confirmed that two people trapped in flood water in their vehicle on Highway 92 needed to be rescued, but there were no injuries in the incident.
This video shows the Coastside Fire Engine 40 helping two people trapped in flood in their vehicle on Highway 92 in @sanmateoco. Fortunately there were no injuries. A couple of inches of water can sweep a large vehicle off the road. #TurnAroundDontDrown #CaWx pic.twitter.com/pCSHzxFePM
– CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) December 13, 2021
Elsewhere in San Mateo County, massive scaffolding collapsed on southbound El Camino Real, forcing 3rd Avenue to 5th Avenue to be closed. No casualties were reported and there was no ETA if the lanes were opened.
Firefighters also provided assistance at the flooded San Mateo Credit Union branch in Half Moon Bay. The firefighters controlled the flow of water with sandbags and helped remove the accumulated water.
FLOOD IN HALF MOON BAY: San Mateo Credit Union staff thanked them today after firefighters came to the rescue. The firefighters used sandbags to control the flow of water, then clear away all the water and dry out electrical equipment. #CaWx pic.twitter.com/FZZwi2jTEN
– CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) December 13, 2021
In Hillsborough, crews from the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department and Central County Fire District rescued a resident from a flood.
This morning Engine 24 responded @centralcountyfd to a Hillsborough house where 1 resident was rescued.
With the storm continuing, remember to turn around, don’t drown! Flooded roadways can occur and the water can be deeper than it appears, which can hide hazards. pic.twitter.com/oN4wQXaaGF
– San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department (@SMCFireDept) December 13, 2021
Hillsborough police said there had been significant local flooding in the city. Rescue workers were on duty the entire time to mitigate the flooding and remove dangerous debris.
In South Bay, Mountain View police reported around 1:30 p.m. that a fallen power pole had fallen on Rengstorff Avenue near the intersection with San Luis Avenue. PG&E crews were on site.
So far there has been no forecast of when the road will be released again.
A large power pole has fallen on Rengstorff and San Luis Avenue. Traffic will stop in both directions while crews work to make the area safe. @ PGE4Me has been notified.
Be prepared for traffic obstructions in the area. An expected time of reopening has not been set. pic.twitter.com/WAx8RnhgWR
– Mountain View Police (@MountainViewPD) December 13, 2021
Until shortly before 3 p.m., the Mountain View police were still responsible for traffic control in the area. Around 4,000 PG&E customers were without electricity.
Power lines interrupted in Mountain View (Mountain View Police Department)
Cal Fire reported that a small mudslide had temporarily closed part of Felton Empire Road Monday morning. No casualties were reported and the crews had one lane free.
LITTLE MUDSLIDE: A small mudslide temporarily blocked part of the Felton Empire Road. ⚠️ No injuries, crews have one lane open. #CaWx #California @sccounty pic.twitter.com/x5ZcqGBmjR
– CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) December 13, 2021
The flood triggered a flood warning for parts of the districts of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara on Monday morning.
At 8:53 am, the weather service tweeted: “We are closely monitoring the streams and creeks in the area, as several are rising rapidly in North Bay. Here is a quick snapshot of Napa Creek, Corte Madera Creek, and Santa Rosa Creek. “
A wind warning was also in effect for gusts of up to 80 km / h.
“Doppler radar and automatic rain gauges indicate heavy rain,” wrote the meteorologists. “Flooding poor drainage areas have already resulted in minor flooding on Interstate 880 and Highway 101. Between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain has fallen.”
Berkeley police warned motorists that “Ashby Avenue west west of 7th Street will be closed due to flooding for the next few days. Please avoid the area. “
There were also several reports of rains between six and 30 centimeters that had accumulated on the roads in Piedmont. A fallen tree fell over a roadway in Santa Clara in Santa Clara and another tree crashed into a bedroom of a house in Felton, in the rain-soaked Santa Cruz Mountains.
In Orinda, floods have been reported on Moraga Way and Glorietta Blvd.
The strongest blow of the storm had been delivered in the North Bay from Sunday afternoon.
“The rain totals for 24 hours starting at 4 a.m. include: 7.77 inches for Mt Tamalpais, 4.78 inches for Ben Lomond and 1.32 for downtown San Francisco,” the weather service posted on social media.
At 9 a.m., the total of 24 hours was 6.45 inches in Ben Lomond and 5.15 inches in Scott’s Valley.
