More rain fell Thursday around the Bay Area, but not nearly as intensely for as long as it did during a powerful storm that rolled through the region Wednesday.
Widespread showers remained, in some cases heavy downpours, and flood warnings continued to dot the coastal areas.
“Now, we’re in a mostly post-frontal environment,” National Weather Service meteorologist Brayden Murdock said Thursday morning. “As far as the bomb cyclone, that’s run aground. So the next system will be a low-pressure one but it’s not related to that.”
The storm Wednesday, the third atmospheric river storm to roll through the region since the start of winter, apparently caused two deaths and brought with it widespread flooding and damaging winds. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, as officials scrambled to help unhoused people stay safe across the Bay Area.
A break on Friday afternoon is expected to be followed by more rain Friday night into Saturday morning, Murdock said. In the interim, flooding danger is expected to be reduced.
“The next system that comes through will be low pressure, separate from the bomb cyclone,” Murdock said. “We’re kind of in a situation where we have a conveyor belt of low-pressure systems.”
The National Weather Service said snow will be heavy in the Sierra Nevada with 3 inches predicted to fall per hour above 5,000 feet.
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Fundraiser organized for toddler killed in North Bay, 1:30 p.m.
The family of the 2-year-old killed when a tree fell on a mobile home in the Sonoma County community of Occidental memorialized him in a GoFundMe post Thursday.
Aeon Tocchini was inside the home when a redwood tree struck it Wednesday night. Rescuers attempted to save the child, but pronounced him dead at the scene.
“Our hearts are broken and our family is shocked and rocked to the core,” said Aeon’s aunt, Liz Haskins, who set up the fundraising page. “My beautiful baby nephew was also known as ‘Goldie’ to our family. You can say it was because of his beautiful blond hair, I say it was because he shined like the sun!”
Haskins wrote that her brother, Dan Tocchini, who was Aeon’s father, also lost his home and his truck in the incident. The fundraiser would help the family recover and pay the expected expenses around Aeon’s death.
Power outages reduced; PG&E faces challenges, 1:15 p.m.
The storm that battered the Bay Area also left nearly half a million customers without power across the Central Coast and Northern California, but that number had been greatly reduced by midday Thursday, Pacific Gas & Electric officials reported.
Some 440,000 customers lost service during the peak of the storm, officials said, but that number had been cut to about 115,000 as of noon Thursday, officials with the utility provider said at a press conference.
The provider expects power to be restored to another 40,000 people by the end of the day.
In a bid to hasten that process, PG&E has dispatched 3,700 contract and mutual aid personnel throughout the state. That includes 389 electricity crews, along with 361 troublemen, distribution line technicians and system inspectors, officials said.
Pacific Gas & Electric CEO Patti Poppe said in a video message posted online that repair workers were facing access issues such as flooding and downed trees. “We’re going to move as quickly and as safely as we can,” Poppe said.
CHP officer injured by falling tree, 1 p.m.
A San Jose-based CHP officer was awake and alert after being hit by a falling tree on state Highway 17, south of Interstate 280, the agency said.
The officer went by ambulance to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, and the CHP said his injuries were not considered life-threatening.
The tree fell from the right shoulder of the freeway about 10:55 a.m. after police had responded at 10:08 a.m. to a traffic crash on Highway 17. There were no other injuries.
Airport cancellations, 12:40 p.m.
The storm continued to mess with travel at the Bay Area airports, but not as significantly as on Wednesday.
At San Francisco International Airport, 26 flights were cancelled and another 176 delayed. On Wednesday, 95 flights into or out of the airport were cancelled and 413 were delayed.
At Mineta San Jose Airport, there were four cancellations and 69 delays, a day after 14 flights were cancelled and 104 delayed. Three flights had been cancelled and 62 delayed at Oakland International Airport. On Wednesday, those figures were nine cancellations and 123 delays.
24-hour rainfall totals, noon
The weather service said Mt. Umunhum received 3.34 inches of rain, the most in the region over the 24-hour period ending at noon Thursday. Loma Prieta received 3.23 inches; Los Gatos received 2.5 inches; Mount Hamilton 2.3 inches; Mountain View received about 1.78 inches; San Francisco International Airport 1.73 inches; Dublin 1.56 inches; and Danville 1.44 inches. The Oakland International Airport received 1.35 inches and San Jose 1.2 inches.
Coastal Flood Warning along Monterey Coast, 11:05 a.m.
The National Weather Service issued a Coastal Flood Warning for the areas around Southern Monterey Bay and the Big Sur Coast. The warning will be in place until 4 p.m. Thursday.
The flooding will be possible because of the excessive rainfall and runoff from it, as well as the large ocean swells, the weather service said. The flooding is expected to cause the shutdown of many roads, and low-lying property and infrastructure are expected to be affected.
The waves are expected to cause some of the coastline to erode, and the weather service said conditions along the beach will be deadly. Authorities urged people to stay out of any body of water.
Mines Road is a mess at the Alameda County Line, 12:30 p.m.
Two washouts on Mines Road caused Santa Clara County Public Works officials to close that road from Del Puerto Road to the Alameda County line, about 20 miles south of Livermore. The roadway remained closed Thursday, as rushing water flowed over. There was no timeframe for when it would be re-opened, but the repairs were expected to take days.
The closure kept motorists from encountering the worst of the flooding. Two miles south, a section of the road was missing, making it impassable. Leadng up to that point on southbound Mines Road, at least a half dozen sections of the road were underneath deep moving water. Some of that water was coming form the Arroyo Mocho that runs alongside the roadway.
Other Santa Clara County roads affected, 11 a.m.
Santa Clara County also closed sections Calaveras Road (from Felter Road to Alameda County), Sierra Road (Skyview Dr. to Felter Road), Stevens Canyon Road (between Mt. Eden Road and Redwood Gulch), Mesa Road (from Santa Teresa to Highway 101), Gilroy Hot Springs Road (at Coyote Road), Bloomfield Dr. (between Frazer Lake and Highway 152) and Mt. Madonna Road (from 1¾ miles east of Redwood Retreat Road).
It was unclear Thursday whether any of those roads had re-opened. Calls to Santa Clara County officials went unanswered and messages left for them were not returned immediately.
Evacuation point opened for South San Francisco residents, 9:40 a.m.
More than 3,000 South San Francisco households remained without power early Thursday, so the city opened a temporary evacuation point where they can access electricity.
The evacuation point is at the Joseph A. Fernekes building at 781 Tennis Dr. The Main and Grand Avenue libraries also will be open for evacuees. The Main Library is at 840 W. Orange Ave., and the Grand Avenue Library is located at 306 Walnut Ave. The Main Library will be open from noon to 8 p.m., and the Grand Avenue Library will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
San Francisquito Creek still below its banks, 9:10 a.m.
Residents in Palo Alto continued to put sand bags along the flood-prone San Francisquito Creek, helping to keep it from overflowing its banks. Flow along the creek peaked early Thursday and was expected to taper off as the day progresses. A smaller surge is expected to begin Saturday.
East Oakland apartment hit by tree, 9 a.m.
An estimated 40-foot section of a eucalyptus tree fell on a two-story, eight-unit apartment complex in East Oakland late Wednesday, and the resulting hole allowed the rain to flood the homes. The residents were evacuated.
“We thought it was a 6.9 earthquake,” said Victoria James, 39, a 10-year resident of the building. She said she was with six other members of her family when the tree hit. James, like several of her neighbors, is now staying with her family at a local hotel.
Monterey County evacuations, 8:55 a.m.
The Monterrey County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order for residents in the Mission Fields Community near the Carmel River Lagoon. The evacuation order was effective immediately and included areas south of 14th Avenue and east of Carmelo Street.
Residents were told to leave the area and seek high ground.There was no word on how long the evacuation orders would be in effect.
24-hour rainfall totals, 7 a.m.
Loma Prieta received 3.27 inches of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 7 a.m. Thursday. Mt. Umunhum received 3.15 inches; Mountain View received about 1.6 inches; San Francisco International Airport 1.48 inches; Oakland International Airport 1.19 inches; Dublin 1.09 inches; and 0.90 inches in both San Jose and Danville.
Santa Clara schools are open, 6:40 a.m.
The Santa Clara Unified School District said all but one of its schools would be open Thursday, after weather forecasts showed that the heaviest of the storm had passed that area. The lone exception was Ponderosa Elementary School on Ponderosa Avenue, which remained closed because of power outages at the campus. The schools also were scheduled to be open Friday.
Tree blocking Caltrain tracks, 6:25 a.m.
The northbound and southbound Caltrain railroad tracks near the Burlingame Avenue station were blocked Thursday after a large tree fell on them, agency officials said. Officials closed the railroad crossing at California Drive and North Lane to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic until further notice.
Passengers who travel through the station were advised to take the SamTrans ECR bus between the two stations as workers attempted to clear the tree and perform repairs. Caltrain advised passengers seeking information about what to do to about the delays or cancellations to visitwww.Caltrain.comor call1-800-660-4287.
Toddler death in Sonoma County, 6:05 a.m.
A toddler died in the Sonoma County town of Occidental on Wednesday night after a tree fell into a mobile home, according to Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Juan Valencia.
The tragedy happened about 5:15 a.m. A 2-year-old boy was sitting on the couch in the living room and was crushed, Valencia said. Fire paramedics tried to revive the child with CPR and other live-saving efforts, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hydroplaning fatal crash in Fairfield, 6 a.m.
A 19-year-old woman died in a crash Wednesday morning in Fairfield, when her her vehicle hydroplaned on a standing patch of water on eastbound Vanden Road about 8:40 a.m., police said. The woman lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a pole.
According to police, the woman was driving too fast for the conditions on the road, causing the crash.
Freeways, highways blocked, 5:20 a.m.
The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig Alert for severe traffic after a big rig and sedan crashed on Highway 84 just east of Interstate 680. The big rig also jackknifed, causing all lanes of that highway to be blocked.
The California Department of Transportation was implementing a closure on northbound Interstate 280 after a giant tree fell, blocking two lanes around a blind curve. The tree came down just south of the Page Mill Road exit in Los Altos.
There was no estimate for when I-280 would be open Thursday.
Flash flood warnings, 4:45 a.m.
The weather service extended a flash flood warning for San Benito County until noon, but many other warnings ranging from Contra Costa County to Santa Cruz County expired and were not extended.
Santa Clara County issues evacuation warnings, 11:45 p.m.:
Citing adverse weather conditions and risks to general public safety and property, Santa Clara County on Wednesday night issued evacuation warnings to residents living in the Pacheco Pass River Basin and watershed areas of the Uvas Reservoir.
The river basin includes El Toro Road south of Highway 152 to Bloomfield Avenue and Lovers Lane between Shore Road and Highway 152. In the reservoir watershed, the evacuation warning applies to residents living in the Thousand Trails and Uvas Pines RV parks, south of Sycamore Drive and Watsonville Road, south of Lions Peak, south of Day Road and Geri Lane, Watsonville and Highway 152.
“Gather your family members, pets, personal items, important documents, prescription medication, change of clothes, nonperishable foods, water, extra batteries, flashlights, and phone chargers,” the county said in a statement. “Prepare to evacuate to a safe location.”
NWS warns of possible landspouts on Peninsula, 10:30 p.m.:
A strong thunderstorm was expected to impact parts of northwestern San Mateo and southeastern San Francisco counties late Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
In a special weather statement, the NWS said landspouts and wind gust up to 55 mph were possible through at least 10:30 p.m.
“Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding,” the weather service said. “Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.”
Hundreds of children evacuated from science camp, 10:05 p.m.:
Prior to the storm’s arrival Wednesday in the Santa Cruz Mountains, roughly 200 children were evacuated from a science camp in Boulder Creek, KSBW Action News reported.
According to the station, the children were evacuated due to concerns that the small bridge leading to the camp could potentially collapse into the San Lorenzo River below.
Santa Cruz Metro buses were used to evacuate the children from the camp, KSBW reported.
NWS releases 24-hour precipitation totals, 9:45 p.m.:
The Sonoma County Airport received nearly an inch of rain between 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, making it one of the wettest spots in the Bay Area.
Other 24-hour precipitation totals included .88 inches in Kentfield, .82 inches in Santa Rosa, .45 inches in San Francisco, .34 inches in Gilroy, .33 inches in Oakland, .32 inches in Concord, .28 inches in Redwood City and .26 inches in Livermore.
South of the Bay Area, the Big Sur remote automatic weather station recorded .81 inches during the same time period.
Oakland schools will be open Thursday, 9:20 p.m.:
The Oakland Unified School District on Wednesday night announced its schools will operate under normal conditions Thursday.
In a message to parents, the district said there were minor problems at several locations, but “schools fared well and will be open to welcome students first thing in the morning Thursday.”
On Wednesday, the district canceled sports and other extracurricular activities, as well as asked families to pick up students from after-school programming early. No further cancellations or closures are expected at this time, according to the district.
“We look forward to having students returning to sports and the other activities they love after school,” the district said. Our after school providers look forward to welcoming students back with their normal operations on Thursday afternoon, as well.”
Santa Clara County declares state of emergency, 9 p.m.:
Santa Clara County on Wednesday proclaimed a local emergency due to the weather conditions and risks to the general public and property, the county said in a statement.
“This emergency declaration allows the county of Santa Clara to take appropriate measures to support the regional emergency response and ensure the safety of those who live and work in our jurisdiction,” said County Executive Jeff Smith. “We continue to work with our partners at Valley Water, our cities, other state and local government agencies, and community-based organizations to protect the public.”
According to the statement, soils are at their saturation point; creeks, streams and rivers are reaching or exceeding flood stage; and low-lying areas are experiencing flooding.
The county urged residents to stay off the roads, creek beds and waterways, and fast moving water.
Ross Creek in San Jose reaches flood monitoring stage, 8:25 p.m.:
As of 7:20 p.m. Wednesday, Ross Creek at Cherry Avenue in San Jose was at flood monitoring stage and rising, according to the Santa Clara Valley Water District. Flood stage is 10 feet, according to the NWS.
SAN JOSE: Ross Creek at Cherry Avenue reached flood monitoring stage and is rising. pic.twitter.com/7x1OsjByhP
— valleywater (@valleywater) January 5, 2023
Gas station collapses in Daly City, 8:15 p.m.:
In Daly City, the storm appeared to play a role in the collapse of a Valero gas station near Callan Boulevard and King Drive. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Russian River area residents warned to evacuate, 7:45 p.m.:
An evacuation order was issued Wednesday night for residents living near the Russian River and its tributaries from Healdsburg to Jenner, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.
In a post on its Facebook page, the sheriff’s office said the river is predicted to crest at 33 feet Thursday night and into the early hours of Friday. The river is expected to recede below flood stage by Friday afternoon, but is predicted to flood again at 40 feet Sunday night into Monday.
“For your safety, prepare to leave the areas below the 40-foot flood level along the Russian River,” the sheriff’s office said. “Be sure to take essential items such as medicines with you. If you live above the 40-foot level, your access may be reduced or eliminated due to flood waters.”
A map of the zones under the evacuation warning is available here.
Fallen tree causes BART delay, 7:35 p.m.:
BART reported a major delay on the between the Concord and Pleasant Hill stations due to a fallen tree, which “wedged between the overboard and third rail.” The mess is affecting passengers heading in the directions of Antioch and San Francisco International Airport.
Flood warning issued for Monterey County, 7 p.m.:
The National Weather Service on Wednesday night issued a flood warning for Monterey County. The warning took effect around 5:40 p.m. and will run through 11:45 p.m.
Flooding is expected in areas including Carmel-By-The-Sea, Marina, Monterey, Seaside and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.
“Flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations is imminent or occurring,” the county’s Office of Emergency Services said in an advisory.
The office urged motorists to avoid flooded roadways, noting that most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
The NWS also issued a flash flood warning for the Big Sur coast, including the Colorado and Dolan burn scars. The warning will run through 12:15 a.m. Thursday.
Rio del Mar residents ordered to evacuate, 6:30 p.m.:
Rio del Mar sisters-in-law Mary and Maureen Sztenderowicz, both in their 70s, were obeying a mandatory evacuation order issued Wednesday afternoon by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, for low-lying areas of the beachside town just down the coast from Santa Cruz, where Aptos Creek meets the ocean.
“We don’t want to be stuck and not able to get out,” Mary said.
Maureen added, “Health issues are another factor.”
The two planned to stay for a night or two with a relative in Santa Cruz.
But Theresa Hosking, 71, said she planned to ride out the storm from her Rio del Mar home near the beach and Aptos Creek.
“I’m not worried,” said Hosking, who lives with her adopted grandsons, 16 and 17. “If it starts getting bad I only have maybe a quarter of a mile to walk to get out of the flood.”
Hosking said she had her important documents in two storage containers, and if she has to flee with her grandsons, they’ll grab their dog, the containers and her phone.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office deputies were posting red evacuation orders outside homes in the Rio del Mar flatlands Wednesday afternoon. “We’re not going to make people leave,” said Deputy Ryan York. Instead, deputies are telling people that if they don’t evacuate, they may not be able to get help in case of emergency, York said.
Of primary concern was Aptos Creek, York said. Although the waterway was not raging Wednesday afternoon, ocean swells and tides — both forecasted to be very high Wednesday night and Thursday morning, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — are expected to surge in, and by blocking outflow of stream water, raise the creek’s level even higher, York said.
–Ethan Baron
Residents head for higher ground in Soquel, 6 p.m.:
Low areas of Soquel, near Santa Cruz, that suffered severe flooding over the weekend, were put under a mandatory evacuation order Wednesday afternoon.
Lori Wilson, a 62-year-old retired art teacher, was heading for higher ground at a friend’s place Wednesday afternoon with her cat, Luna, in the car. Although floodwaters from a raging Soquel Creek had muddied her patio on the weekend, she was more worried about trees falling on her home in what is expected to be a bigger storm Wednesday night and Thursday, she said.
“The trees were really snapping and cracking the other night,” Wilson said.
–Ethan Baron
Fremont opens emergency storm shelter, 5:30 p.m.:
The city of Fremont on Wednesday opened an emergency shelter at Washington High School.
Located at 38442 Fremont Boulevard, the shelter inside the school’s small gymnasium will remain open through Friday, police said in an advisory. Warm meals, beverages and face masks will be supplied.
Service animals and pets are welcome at the shelter. All animals except ADA service animals will be kenneled on-site with food and water, according to the advisory.
For more information, contact Fremont Human Services at 510-574-2050 or humanservicesinfo@fremont.gov.
Santa Clara County closes roads, 5:15 p.m.:
The following roads in Santa Clara County were closed because of the storm, the county’s Office of Emergency Operations said in a news release late Wednesday afternoon.
- Calaveras Road from Felter Road to the Alameda County line
- Mines Road from Del Puerto Road to the Alameda County line (washouts)
- Sierra Road from Skyview Drive to Felter Road due (slides and storm debris)
- Stevens Canyon Road between Mt. Eden Road and Redwood Gulch Road (downed tree and communication line)
- Mesa Road from Santa Teresa Boulevard to Highway 101 (flooding)
- Gilroy Hot Springs Road at Coyote Reservoir (flooding)
- Bloomfield Avenue between Frazier Lake Road and Highway 152 (flooding)
- Mt. Madonna Road from 1.75 miles east of Redwood Retreat Road to Summit Road in Gilroy.
The office urged drivers to be alert for road closure signs as well as equipment and crews.
Emergency road closure information is available here.
Heavy rain moves into Bay Area, 4:30 p.m.:
Heavy rain entered the Bay Area around 4:20 p.m., according to a radar update shared by the NWS. Roughly an hour later, the agency also shared data showing gusts up to 85 mph in Marin.
📡Radar Update 4:21 PM – Heavy rain now entering the Bay Area. #cawx. pic.twitter.com/WM7awylGUF
— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) January 5, 2023
Impressive wind showing up in Marin. Gusts up to 85 mph now (4:10-4:30)! #cawx pic.twitter.com/D2VSUN768s
— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) January 5, 2023
Staff writers Robert Salonga, Lisa Krieger contributed to this blog. Check back for updates.
