SAN MATEO, California – over two weeks of storms have already scored California, and one more arrived Sunday evening. Merciless downpours and their consequences – flooding homes flattened cars, downed power lines and more – killed at least 19 people and ruined life of millions more from the end of December.
Experts say almost no one of storms, on their own, would have been considered catastrophic, but the constant blows have wreaked havoc on Landscape of California. Soil now struggling hold water is more vulnerable to mudflows. days of strong winds knocked down trees. And the ruthless rainfall turned the streams into seething water streams.
The weathermen said latest storm should to be last in a run of atmospheric rivers that have washed the state since the end of December, and that once they flow, California experience mostly dry weather through next week except for some light rain on Wednesday.
Northern California got a much-needed break in storms on Monday morning as residents attended in marches in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Showers continued south in Central and Southern California, and in some areas still with flooding even after the strongest of The rain is over.
Here is a summary of some areas that have been vulnerable lately.
Monterey Peninsula
Signature Coastal Bass of Monterey County, peninsula about 100 miles to the south. of San Francisco that is home up to 50,000 inhabitants, is world- a well-known tourist destination, including cities of Carmel, Monterey, Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach Golf Course.
As storms hit the Central Coast, peninsula and roads give access to keep him under close supervision. The rain continued on Monday after a stormy Sunday.
Rescuers witness massive flooding in the Salinas Valley, away from the peninsula, and in the area still active evacuation orders for some areas along the Salinas River. On Saturday, more than a hundred people we in evacuation shelters, according to Maya Carroll, communications coordinator for Monterey County. Some residents were out of them homes since the flood started a week ago.
There were no evacuation orders. on Monterey Peninsula on Monday, but the officials stayed on county alert for more floods on large rivers.
concern back memories of 1995, when the roads to the peninsula were flooded, cutting in region off completely away from the rest of country. main routes to region are highways 1 and 68, which are on risk of flooding if the Salinas River overflows its banks.
Santa Cruz Mountains
Trouble through hard-hit Santa Cruz County, Coastal region south of San Jose including the flood in lowlands, and rising high tide on the coast and falling trees, but the mountains of the county were especially vulnerable to the effects of more rain, said Dave Reed, director of Santa Cruz County Office of Responsiveness, recovery and resilience.
Rain and floods in California
Within a few weeks the line of severe storms hit California, causing severe flooding and damage throughout the state.
” challenge for us now in mountains are something amount of rain, even a little rain, maybe cause road failures, landslides,” he said. The earth was saturated with rain for weeks and can’t absorb much more, adding to the potential for landslides and damaged roads.
Rain continued on Monday in the Santa Cruz mountains persist until noon.
Falling trees and landslides are the main problems of Daniel DeLonge. Mr. Delong, 56, retired firefighter. who life in Ben Lomond, California, rural town in Santa Cruz Mountains, describes recent storms as “heavy more more extreme” than anything he’s experienced in lived there for three decades. His family resides on acres of Earth full of towering sequoias and Douglas firs.
“They could just come down and shorten your house in halfsaid Mr. DeLonge. Pair of small trees fell on his property in in past two weeks, but cause major damage.
His property less vulnerable to falling rocks and dirt, but area blocked roads due to landslides. Mr DeLonge said it was possible it is his family may fall into a trap on them property should more roads fail.
Lake Tahoe/Sierra Nevada region
over eight feet of snow has accumulated in Sierra Nevada in in last a week. mountain communities in lake tahoe region, with fleet of snow removal equipment and avalanche professionals, built resist big winter storms. Problems are growing, but on a holiday weekend when so much snow coincides with in arrival of thousands of people looking for winter holidays in Tacho area, one of most popular places for skiing in country.
On Sunday morning traffic jams increased. up two-lane roads towards the ski resorts located north of Lake Tahoe. The National Weather Service expected another eight to 18 inches. of snow will fall by tuesday with gusts of wind up up to 80 mph on open peaks of the ridge in Sierra.
California department of Transport officials interviewed travelers for patience on Monday, when continued snowfall was expected to affect road conditions as tourists return. home over a high mountain passes. Two major highways, Interstate 80 and Highway 50, remained open. on Monday though the travelers had to put on the chains on tires of most vehicles.
When Interstate 80 and Highway 50 experienced delays and occasional stops during heavy snow. on Saturday the roads were “wild” with numerous side effects and accidents, said Gilbert Mohtes-Chan. public information an officer for Caltrans District 3. Stuck for now in movement, people jumped out of their cars in play in snow, forgetting that they were sitting on a major highway where large snowplows and heavy equipment need access. “People need slow down down and be patient and they will get to their destination,” Mr. Mohtes-Chan said.
On the positive side, amount of water now in snow cover competes with the fact that for some of the biggest winters in decades. The Sierra is, in fact, a large body of water. for Everybody of California – about 30 percent of public water supply, on medium, comes from the snowpack of the Sierra – and melting snow in a spring is what causes water to flow downstream when weather turns out to be dry.
Southern California
weeks of stormy weather inflicted that Mark Pestrella, director of Los Angeles County Public Works titled “10,000 small crosses the district. But they all add up. Road system he said with funnels and damaged pavement, cost almost $200 million for renovations.
When downtown LA got 1.8 inches of rain on Saturday, break record for date, storm caused only limited damage: a tree crushed several cars; boulder and other landslide debris shut down movement. Near the ocean, raging tides caused up to six inches of pond water in streets, including in Long beach. And a funnel that swallowed two vehicles last a week in Chatsworth area of north Los Angeles continued to grow almost to its full width of road.
However, things are much better in Los Angeles than in other parts of the city. of state, according to Capt. Sheila Kelliher-Berko of Los Angeles County Fire Department. “We definitely have share of things, but it could be worse,” she said.
Ms. Kelliher-Berko said that one of the biggest priorities for the department was the Los Angeles River. Often just dry concrete channel cutting south through the heart of in the city, during the storm, the river became a 10-foot-deep stream, she said. This thread can be especially dangerous for people who underestimate power of in current especially children and homeless people camping near the coast.
The district fire department is also carefully observing areas recently affected by forest fires, where burn marks remain left behind loose soil, ideal conditions for landslides.
On Monday the storms created some problems south in San Diego County, where the San Diego River flooded, resulting in road closures.
San Joaquin Valley
Merced County, located about 130 miles to the east. of San Jose in San Joaquin Valley and home up to almost 300,000 people withstood some of California’s toughest weather terms. Flooding last week forced hundreds of people evacuate from their homes. Among the most difficulthit area was Planada, small Agriculture community 90 minutes drive from Yosemite National Park.
The district has already received more than 200 times as much rainfall this month as it was last January. Storm conditions in in area lightweight on Sunday but different round of heavy rain swept through the Central Valley on Monday.
During a short break over weekend, the California National Guard worked with county office of emergency services to repair and strengthen the region’s major waterways, including Bear Creek, which flooded last a week.
emergency workers also climbed up to pump out flood waters until conditions worsen again repairing dams.
Evacuation orders in Merced County was liberated and roads began to open up. over days off, giving Red Cross workers, local volunteers and members of The Merced County Sheriff’s Office now has the ability to distribute food and water to tired neighbors.
farther north, in San Joaquin County, mobile home the park flooded in Acampo and a few stretch marks of Interstate 5 and Highway 99 flooded on Monday.
