THE ANGELSS.- The first of two consecutive atmospheric rivers drenched Northern California on Thursday, flooding roads and prompting storm preparations across the state amid warnings of downpours, heavy snow and dangerous winds.
Downpours and gales began hitting the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday night and were expected to move up the coast, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service issued a flood warning until Friday morning for the Bay area and the central coast due to possible overflows in rivers, streams, some roads and areas affected by forest fires.
Waves on the central coast could reach 5.4 meters (18 feet) high on Thursday and Friday, according to experts.
Service on San Francisco’s iconic streetcars was suspended as a precaution and Pacifica, A coastal city in San Mateo County received more than an inch (2.5 centimeters) of rain in one hour.
Widespread flooding was reported Wednesday in coastal Humboldt County, where up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain was expected before the storm headed south, the National Weather Service office in Eureka said. There were scattered reports of power outages.
In the south, all of San Diego County was under a flood warning Thursday. Some areas could see 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain, with up to 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) in the mountains and gusts of up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour.
The storm came a week after another round of rain caused flooding that inundated homes and overturned cars in the county.
The “Pineapple Express,” nicknamed for its long wake that stretches across the Pacific almost to Hawaii, will be followed by an even stronger storm on Sunday, forecasters said.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) activated its operations center and deployed personnel and equipment to the highest risk areas.
Brian Ferguson, deputy director of crisis communications for Cal OES, described the situation as “a significant threat to the safety of Californians” with concerns about the impact for between 10 and 14 days from the Oregon border to San Diego, and from the coast to the mountains.
“It’s really a large area of California that is going to be threatened over the next week,” Ferguson said.
Last winter, several atmospheric rivers passed over the state and caused a succession of floods, strong waves that hit coastal towns and extraordinary snowfall that crushed buildings, all after a drought. More than 20 people died.
Source: With information from AP
