2 dead, nearly 10,000 under evacuation order as flooding intensifies in California – Boston News, Weather, Sports

(CNN) — At least two people have died as a result of the ongoing storms in California, and nearly 10,000 residents are under evacuation orders, officials said, as several coastal counties face intense flooding.

The powerful storms have delivered heavy rains in the central and northern parts of the state, causing the Weather Prediction Center to: a Level 4 of 4 Warning for excessive rain in the area.

Meanwhile, the emergency declaration requested by Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday night was approved by President Joe Biden, clearing the way for financial assistance in responding to the onslaught and recovering from the storm, said Nancy Ward, director of the state Office of Emergency Services .

Around 25 million people are under flood alerts issued by the National Weather Service and more than 25,000 are without power, according to data PowerOutage.us.

Some remote areas of the state have seen more than 12 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service, as the heaviest rain tonight and overnight hours will shift south and decrease in intensity. However, the rain will continue throughout the weekend and could lead to further flooding concerns.

As a resident of many California mountain communities stuck in the snow from successive winter stormsanother significant atmospheric flow event is expected to affect the region early next week.

The National Water Center said: “Several rounds of rain in addition to melting snow will result in the potential for significant increases along streams and rivers, with widespread flooding impacts possible through early next week.”

Two deaths have been confirmed and about 9,400 residents are under evacuation orders, Ward said at a news conference on Friday.

Flash flooding is expected to be a particular concern over the next six to eight hours along California’s central coast to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, said David Lawrence of the National Weather Service. More than a dozen shelters have opened in nine counties to accommodate those displaced from their homes, Ward added.

CalTrans, the state’s transportation agency, has about 4,000 crew members working 12-hour shifts during this weather event, already removing fallen trees and clearing drainage channels to minimize flooding, Assistant Director John McKeever said. The California National Guard has deployed 36 flood vehicles to also respond to rescue operations, Cal Guard’s David Kauffman added.

In Fresno County, three elderly women, including a 104-year-old, were rescued after being stranded in a home, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni said. As of Friday afternoon, flooding in the county had “risen significantly” and an evacuation order had been issued for all residents, according to the sheriff’s office.

The worst rains and most significant impacts are expected to continue throughout Friday. Hourly precipitation rates will increase steadily in intensity across California through Friday morning, potentially reaching 1 inch per hour.

Portions of the Sierra Nevada above 8,000 feet could be hit with 8 feet of snow. Streams and streams in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains remain the most vulnerable areas to flooding from rain and snowmelt, the Weather Prediction Center said.

A separate system is also delivering snow to much of the central U.S., with winter weather warnings in place from South Dakota to Connecticut on Friday. The storm has already recorded widespread snowfall totals ranging from 2 to 5 inches, with an area along the Illinois-Wisconsin border ranging from 6 to 8 inches.

In Minneapolis, up to 2 inches of snow could fall on top of the 2.1 inches already on the ground. And Milwaukee, Wisconsin has already had about 4 inches of snow with the possibility of another 5 inches today.

Heavy snowfall overnight across Wisconsin has knocked out nearly 110,000 customers, according to reports PowerOutage.usincluding about 89,000 in Milwaukee County.

California residents included, videos show roaring floods

As of Friday, 34 of California’s 58 counties are under a state of emergency imposed by the governor’s office due to previous storms and this week’s severe weather threat. The state also activated its flood response center Thursday morning.

Video taken by a Springville, Tulare County resident from his car on Friday showed rushing flood water under a bridge that hit a house.

“Not looking good in Springville,” Brian Duke commented on the video posted on Facebook. “Authorities are evacuating everyone along the river. It’s getting worse by the minute.”

About 700 residents in Soquel, California, in Santa Cruz County, are trapped after a burst pipe caused severe flooding and the collapse of the only road connecting the community to the rest of the region, Steve Wiesner, assistant director of public works at the Santa Cruz County, CNN said.

Soquel resident Molly Watson shared a photo with CNN showing a large stretch of road washed out by flood waters in the town. A cracked sidewalk appears to be sinking under rushing water as rescue workers stand on one stretch of road and residents on the other.

“It’s the only road that goes into town,” Watson said. “We are now an island.”

Local residents would remain isolated until a new crossing could be prepared, which could take days, Wiesner said.

One person died and another was injured when a warehouse roof partially collapsed in Oakland Friday morning in what was likely a weather-related incident, a fire official said.

In the township of Felton, also in Santa Cruz County, resident Tom Fredericks lamented the exhaustion from the relentless series of severe storms since the beginning of the year.

“Since then we’ve been working every week, every week if we can,” Fredericks to CNN affiliate KGO. “It feels like it was before the storms right now. So it’s kind of disheartening to face that again.”

From late December through January, many areas across the state were inundated with water torrential rain from atmospheric flows this lasted for several consecutive days. The rains caused deadly flooding, mudslides and damaged critical infrastructure that has yet to be repaired in some places, increasing the potential danger associated with this week’s storm.

This weeks atmospheric flows — which are long, narrow bands of moisture in the atmosphere that carry warm air and water vapor from the tropics — could potentially be even more ominous due to their warmth, meteorologists said.

Rainfall totals through Sunday morning could range from 1.5 to 3 inches for most urban areas, with between 3 and 6 inches in coastal areas and inland hills. Up to 8 inches over the Santa Cruz Mountains and locally up to 12 inches over preferred peaks and higher ground in the Santa Lucia Mountains.

The emerging forecast prompted some ski resorts to announce closures. Kirkwood Mountain Resort said it would not open Friday, as would Northstar California Resort and Heavenly Resort in South Lake Tahoe on Nevada’s central California border.

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