Blackout as 16 die in California floods
Authorities say at least 16 people have been killed by flooding caused by the raging storm in California, reports the LA Times.
"These floods are deadly and have now become more deadly than even the wildfires here in the state of California," Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a press conference this weekend. end.
While it's too early to know exactly how much damage from these storms will cost California, it could reach or exceed $1 billion, according to Adam Smith, an applied climatologist and disaster expert at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Last year, the United States experienced 18 weather and climate-related disasters costing at least $1 billion, putting 2022 tied with 2017 and 2011 for third-largest number of billion-dollar disasters in a year, according to a report published by the agency.
Early Tuesday, the Merced County Sheriff issued a mandatory evacuation order for the town of Planada just east of Merced, affecting 4,000 residents, after Bear Creek began to flood in heavy rain.
A day earlier, Merced city officials had issued evacuation orders and warnings along a number of residential neighborhoods along Bear Creek, which runs through the heart of the city.
Merced is crossed by Bear Creek, a tributary of the Mokelumne River which originates in the Sierra Nevadas. Bear Creek water levels reached major flood stage early Tuesday, sending muddy water through neighborhoods and stranding motorists.
About 189,000 Pacific Gas & Electric Co. customers remain without power on Tuesday. Efforts to restore power overnight were thwarted by wind gusts exceeding 70 mph in some areas and more than 100 lightning strikes, according to the utility.
The Felton area of Santa Cruz County, parts of which were inundated Monday by the San Lorenzo River flood, suffered significant damage overnight from strong winds blowing up to 70 mph that toppled trees. Highway 17 was closed after power lines fell and sparked the roadway, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters are keeping a close eye on the Salinas and Big Sur rivers in Monterey County.
Sheriff's officials issued an evacuation order for residents near the Salinas River early Tuesday. Officials predict the river could reach flood stage by Wednesday, according to the California Nevada River Forecast Center.
As forecasters say the bulk of the storm, which started late Sunday, moved through the northern half of the state, wet weather and periods of intense downpours will occur in the region, with some thunderstorms.< /p>
"If a strong thunderstorm develops over an area, people should be aware that it can produce very high winds and dump heavy rain," said National Weather meteorologist Brooke Bingaman San Francisco Bay Area Service. "So what that means is that while this storm is here, more trees could fall and there could be rapid water surges if you're near a creek or creek. "
In the Sacramento area, forecasters observed a rotation on radar indicating conditions favorable for tornado formation and issued a tornado warning, although no tornado actually materialized , said Cory Mueller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
As far south as Modesto, residents said they were woken shortly before 4 a.m. by an emergency alert warning them to go to a basement or lower level of the house due to a tornado threat.
High winds wreaked havoc on the area, overturning a tractor-trailer truck and leaving it hanging over an overpass and toppling trees in El Dorado, Amador and Sacramento counties .
San Francisco recorded its third wettest 15-day period on record, dating back to the Gold Rush in 1849, according to meteorologist Jan Null, assistant professor of meteorology at the state of San Jose.
Thunderstorms have dumped 12.37 inches of rain in San Francisco since Dec. 26. The only two wettest 15-day periods before this were in December 1866, when 13.54 inches fell, and during the Great Flood of 1862, which saw over 19 inches of rain.
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Authorities say at least 16 people have been killed by flooding caused by the raging storm in California, reports the LA Times.
"These floods are deadly and have now become more deadly than even the wildfires here in the state of California," Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a press conference this weekend. end.
While it's too early to know exactly how much damage from these storms will cost California, it could reach or exceed $1 billion, according to Adam Smith, an applied climatologist and disaster expert at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Last year, the United States experienced 18 weather and climate-related disasters costing at least $1 billion, putting 2022 tied with 2017 and 2011 for third-largest number of billion-dollar disasters in a year, according to a report published by the agency.
Early Tuesday, the Merced County Sheriff issued a mandatory evacuation order for the town of Planada just east of Merced, affecting 4,000 residents, after Bear Creek began to flood in heavy rain.
A day earlier, Merced city officials had issued evacuation orders and warnings along a number of residential neighborhoods along Bear Creek, which runs through the heart of the city.
Merced is crossed by Bear Creek, a tributary of the Mokelumne River which originates in the Sierra Nevadas. Bear Creek water levels reached major flood stage early Tuesday, sending muddy water through neighborhoods and stranding motorists.
About 189,000 Pacific Gas & Electric Co. customers remain without power on Tuesday. Efforts to restore power overnight were thwarted by wind gusts exceeding 70 mph in some areas and more than 100 lightning strikes, according to the utility.
The Felton area of Santa Cruz County, parts of which were inundated Monday by the San Lorenzo River flood, suffered significant damage overnight from strong winds blowing up to 70 mph that toppled trees. Highway 17 was closed after power lines fell and sparked the roadway, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters are keeping a close eye on the Salinas and Big Sur rivers in Monterey County.
Sheriff's officials issued an evacuation order for residents near the Salinas River early Tuesday. Officials predict the river could reach flood stage by Wednesday, according to the California Nevada River Forecast Center.
As forecasters say the bulk of the storm, which started late Sunday, moved through the northern half of the state, wet weather and periods of intense downpours will occur in the region, with some thunderstorms.< /p>
"If a strong thunderstorm develops over an area, people should be aware that it can produce very high winds and dump heavy rain," said National Weather meteorologist Brooke Bingaman San Francisco Bay Area Service. "So what that means is that while this storm is here, more trees could fall and there could be rapid water surges if you're near a creek or creek. "
In the Sacramento area, forecasters observed a rotation on radar indicating conditions favorable for tornado formation and issued a tornado warning, although no tornado actually materialized , said Cory Mueller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
As far south as Modesto, residents said they were woken shortly before 4 a.m. by an emergency alert warning them to go to a basement or lower level of the house due to a tornado threat.
High winds wreaked havoc on the area, overturning a tractor-trailer truck and leaving it hanging over an overpass and toppling trees in El Dorado, Amador and Sacramento counties .
San Francisco recorded its third wettest 15-day period on record, dating back to the Gold Rush in 1849, according to meteorologist Jan Null, assistant professor of meteorology at the state of San Jose.
Thunderstorms have dumped 12.37 inches of rain in San Francisco since Dec. 26. The only two wettest 15-day periods before this were in December 1866, when 13.54 inches fell, and during the Great Flood of 1862, which saw over 19 inches of rain.
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