CORTE MADERA, Calif. – In California, crews have been hard at work clearing mud from major highways as meteorologists caution that more thunderstorms are on the horizon. This comes after heavy rains and high tides led to flooding, road shutdowns, and people being rescued from stranded vehicles.
According to the National Weather Service in Eureka, five counties in the northern region are still under a flood watch, with forecasts predicting up to three inches (7.6 cm) of rain through Monday night. These areas have been experiencing intermittent downpours since around Christmas. The mountains are expected to receive at least a foot (.3 meters) of snow.
Meanwhile, in areas south of the San Francisco Bay, waters are gradually receding. Heavy rains coupled with record-setting “King Tides” led to flooding on roads stretching from Sausalito to San Rafael. King Tides occur when the moon is closest to Earth, causing a stronger gravitational pull.
As streets became waterways, some residents took to kayaking, while others waded through knee-deep water. Emergency services were busy assisting motorists whose vehicles were trapped in water up to 3 to 4 feet (1.1 to 1.2 meters) deep, according to Marin County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Dobbins on Saturday.
“I’ve lived through many King Tides, but I’ve never seen them reach these levels,” commented Jeremy Hager from San Rafael to KTVU-TV.
Flooding has been reported across the counties of Marin, Sonoma, Alameda, San Mateo, and San Francisco.
While the tides were waning, lingering thunderstorms on Sunday could cause additional problems throughout low-lying areas, forecasters said. “For anyone driving, slow down and allow extra time to reach your destination,” the Bay Area office of the weather service warned on social media.
Farther south in Santa Barbara County, a key highway was reopened Sunday after it was blocked for most of the weekend near Goleta due to a series of mudslides. A man died after he was swept into a creek during the storm, the sheriff’s office said Saturday.
Parts of Santa Barbara County received more than four inches (10 cm) of rain over two days, the weather service said Sunday.
After a mostly dry autumn, California has been hit by a series of powerful winter storms that brought the wettest holiday season to the state in years.
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