California hurricane: Five areas to watch

SAN MATEO, Calif. – More than two weeks of hurricanes have hit California, and another one is coming for the holiday weekend. The relentless downpours and their effects — homes flooded, cars flattened, power lines down, etc. — killed at least 19 people and disrupted the lives of millions more. since the end of December.

Experts have said that hardly a single hurricane can be considered a disaster, but the continuing assault has taken a toll on California’s landscape. Soils that are currently trying to hold water are more prone to landslides. day of strong winds sent fallen trees. And relentless rainfall has turned small creeks into raging torrents of water.

Below is a list of some of the areas that officials are monitoring closely.

Monterey Peninsula

The coastal perch is typical of Monterey County, a peninsula about 100 miles south of San Francisco, home to 50,000 residents and a world-famous tourist destination that includes the towns of Carmel, Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Pacific Grove. and golf destination Pebble Beach.

As storms continued to hit the Central Coast, the peninsula was closely watched. The area is forecast for thunderstorms and 1/2 inch to 1 inch of rain through Sunday night, with rain continuing into Monday.

Disaster relief workers have seen widespread flooding in the Salinas Valley, inland from the peninsula, and the county still has active evacuation orders for some areas along the Salinas and Carmel Rivers. More than a hundred people were in evacuation shelters on Saturday, according to Maia Carroll, Monterey County communications coordinator. Some residents have been out of their homes since the flooding began last Monday.

There was no evacuation order on the Monterey Peninsula on Sunday, but officials remained alert across the county for more flooding along major rivers.

The concerns recall memories of 1995, when roads into the peninsula flooded, completely cutting the area off from the rest of the county. The main routes into the area are Highways 1 and 68, which are at risk of flooding if the Salinas River overflows its banks.

Santa Cruz Mountains

Concerns across Santa Cruz County, a coastal area south of San Jose that have been hit hard, include lowland flooding, high tides on the coast, and fallen trees, said Dave Reid. but the mountains are particularly vulnerable to the effects of more rain, said Dave Reid. director of the Santa Cruz County Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience.

“The challenge for us now in the mountains is that any rainfall, even moderate rainfall, can cause road damage, landslides,” he said. Because the ground has been saturated with rainwater for weeks, it can’t absorb more, increasing the likelihood of landslides and road damage.

Rain is forecast for the remainder of Sunday through Monday morning in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with the possibility of rain continuing into Monday afternoon. Falling trees and landslides are Daniel DeLong’s primary concern.

Mr DeLong, 56, a retired firefighter who lives in Ben Lomond, Calif., a rural town in the Santa Cruz Mountains, described recent storms as “much more extreme” than any other. what he experienced in the three decades he lived there. His family resides on an acre of land filled with redwoods and towering Douglas firs.

“They can come down and cut your house in half,” Mr. DeLong said. A few smaller trees have fallen on his property in the past two weeks but have caused no major damage.

His property was less affected by falling rocks and mud, but the area was closed due to landslides. Mr DeLong said his family could be stranded on their property if more roads were damaged.

Lake Tahoe / Sierra Nevada

More than eight feet of snow has accumulated in the Sierra Nevada over the past week. Mountain communities in the Lake Tahoe region, with a fleet of snow removal equipment and avalanche specialists, are built to withstand major winter storms. However, problems increased on a snowy weekend that coincided with the arrival of thousands of people looking for a winter getaway in the Tahoe area, one of the top ski destinations. most popular slope in the country.

On Sunday morning, the stream of traffic inched little by little on the two-lane roads toward the ski resorts north of Lake Tahoe. A winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service on Sunday forecast an additional 8 to 18 inches of snow on Tuesday, with gusts of up to 80 mph on exposed peaks in the Sierra. .

California Department of Transportation officials asked travelers to be patient, especially on Monday when continued snowfall is expected to affect road conditions, as travelers return home through difficult periods. high pass. Gilbert Mohtes-Chan, a public information officer for Caltrans District 3, said prolonged delays and slow-moving traffic are expected.

When Interstate 80 and Interstate 50 experienced intermittent delays and shutdowns Saturday amid heavy snowfall, Mohtes-Chan said the roads were “wild” with many accidents. accident and collision. While stuck in traffic, people jumped out of their cars to play in the snow, forgetting that they were on a major road where large snowmobiles and heavy equipment were needed. “People need to slow down and be patient, and they will get there,” said Mr. Mohtes-Chan.

On the plus side, the amount of water present in the snow and ice is comparable to that of some of the biggest winters in decades. The Sierra is essentially a large reservoir for all of California — about 30 percent of the state’s water on average comes from the Sierra ice and snow — and spring snowmelt helps provide water that runs downstream when the weather turns cold. should be dry.

Los Angeles County

Downtown Los Angeles received 1.8 inches of rain on Saturday, breaking records for that day. In the city and surrounding areas, the storm caused limited damage: Trees fell on many cars; A rock and other debris from a landslide blocked traffic. Near the ocean, high tides cause water levels up to 6 inches to form ponds across the street, including in Long Beach. And a sinkhole that swallowed two vehicles last week in the Chatsworth neighborhood, north of Los Angeles, continues to widen, spanning nearly the entire width of the road.

Overall, Mark Pestrella, the Los Angeles County director of Public Works, described the situation as “10,000 small cuts countywide.” But it all adds up. The road system, with its sinkholes and damaged pavement, will cost nearly $200 million to repair, he estimates.

Still, Los Angeles is doing much better than other parts of the state, according to Captain Sheila Kelliher-Bekoh of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. She said: “We certainly have our share, but it could have been worse.

Kelliher-Bekoh says one of the department’s biggest priorities is the Los Angeles River. Usually just a strip of dry concrete that cuts south through downtown, the river becomes a 10-foot-deep stream that erupts during storms, she said. That current can be especially dangerous for people who underestimate the power of electric currents, especially children and homeless people camping near shore.

The County Fire Department is also closely monitoring areas affected by recent wildfires, as burn scar areas have left loose soil, perfect conditions for landslides.

Merced . County

The county, located about 130 miles east of San Jose in the San Joaquin Valley and home to nearly 300,000 people, has endured some of California’s most extreme weather conditions, with last week’s flooding forcing Hundreds of people had to evacuate their homes. Among the hardest hit areas is Planada, a small farming community located 90 minutes from Yosemite National Park.

The county, part of California’s Central Valley, has seen 200 times more rainfall this month than last January amid a drought. Storm conditions in that area eased on Sunday, but locals braced for another heavy rain and possible flooding. Rain is forecast to continue through Monday.

During a brief respite this weekend, the California National Guard worked with the county Office of Emergency Services to repair and strengthen the area’s major waterways, including Bear Creek, flooded last week.

Emergency workers also scrambled to pump floodwater out before the situation worsened again, clearing storm drains and repairing dikes across the valley.

The Merced County evacuation order was lifted and roads began to reopen later this week, providing an opportunity for Red Cross employees, local volunteers, and members of the Police Department. Merced County sheriff distributes food and water to tired neighbors.