Live storm updates: North Bay rain takes down 2 trees; residents prep for nighttime downpour

Monday, January 22, 2024
North Bay rain takes down 2 trees; residents prep for downpour
Heavy rain in the North Bay caused low visibility on roads, fallen trees and last-minute supply runs for many residents.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Multiple storms are bringing wet weather back to the Bay Area with the wet pattern continuing into early this week. Sunday and Monday are Level 2 Moderate storms on the ABC7 Exclusive Storm Impact Scale. Sunday night though Monday morning will see another round of heavy rain. Monday morning could also see thunderstorms.

LIVE: Track rain in San Francisco Bay Area with Live Doppler 7

TIMELINE: Heavy rain arrives Sunday night with Flood Watch in North Bay, Wind Advisory along coast

SUNDAY

11 p.m.: North Bay rain takes down 2 trees; residents prep for nighttime downpour

Rain in Santa Rosa on Sunday night made for poor visibility at times along Highway 101.

"Driving is a bit crazy. Some people just can't handle it, some hydroplaning, some people don't have their lights on," said Lilly Briggs.

"I like the rain. I don't like to drive in it," said Yolanda Mathis to which we replied, "How are the other drivers out there?"

Her response, "Not good.

A large pine tree came down along Watertrough Road in Sebastopol, but it doesn't appear as though anyone was hurt.

Crews were able to clear a tree that fell along Mark Springs Road in Santa Rosa. Some of the leaves from where it fell could still be seen on Sunday night.

As for those people braving the wet weather, yes there were quite a few late into the evening. Folks were making last-minute Safeway runs in the rain.

"Kids go back to school tomorrow. Had to finish up the shopping. It's my daughter's birthday today so gotta pick up a little something," said Miguel Rodriguez of Windsor.

"I don't mind the rain, because I love the weather, but when it comes to the extremities we're getting right now, we might all be concerned but no, the birds, the bees, the flowers, and the trees. No, seriously, it's important," said Sara Mills-Gaines.

It seems that while the umbrellas were important for many, they were not so important for others.

"Any umbrellas you brought out or anything?" we asked Miguel.

"We've got three in the car," he said, saying that the plan was to bolt in and out of the store quickly.

7:50 p.m.: Guerneville home 'yellow tagged' after landslide, firefighters ready for next storm

A home in Sonoma County is now 'yellow tagged' after a nearby landslide, and the homeowner spoke with ABC7 News.

In the North Bay, we're seeing some issues from the weekend storms.

A home in Sonoma County is now 'yellow tagged' after a nearby landslide, and the homeowner spoke with ABC7 News.

"Anxious, scared, worried. We really like this house," said homeowner Cindy Dawson.

Dawson is feeling a lot of emotions after a large landslide happened Saturday, only feet from her hillside home in Guerneville.

"I didn't think anything about it. It sounded like a clod. We didn't realize until a couple of hours later, 'Oh my gosh.' The slide starts at our living room and goes down to River Road," Dawson said.

First responders say the slide is about 30 feet wide and six feet deep with mud. It prompted Sonoma County inspectors to yellow tag Dawson's home, which means limited entry at the property -- and more rain is coming.

"We're going to try and get enough clothes out of here in case the house goes from river view to river front. We might wind up with river front suddenly -- that's a joke," she added.

A new storm is no joke to local firefighters. They're watching the Russian River and its tributaries for possible flooding over the next few days.

"A lot of saturation is going on right now. The river is maintaining, however it will increase with more rain that we see," said Sonoma County Fire District Captain Jason Jones.

Jones says his swift water rescue team is ready with watercraft and rope systems to bring victims to safety if needed.

"Our biggest concerns right now are landslides, trees down blocking roadways and causing more vehicle accidents," Jones said.

New homeowners John and Lisa Enterline say they're ready for rain.

"We are first-time homeowners. We kind of went through this last year. We're hoping it doesn't last as long this year. We'll stay dry as best we can," said John Enterline.

As for Dawson, she and her husband are leaving their home until it's safe to return.

"We've got our RV out of storage, and we'll be staying in an RV park until we figure out what to do and how to do it," Dawson said.

Dawson says she's working with the county and is keeping her fingers crossed that the remaining hill around her property holds during the next round of rain.

5:50 p.m.: Soquel San Jose Rd. closed in Santa Cruz due to fallen trees, downed powerlines: CHP

Soquel San Jose Road is closed in Santa Cruz due to fallen trees and downed powerlines, California Highway Patrol says.

The closure is at SSJ Rd. between Miller Hill and Miller cutoff.

PGE has a detour in place, according to CHP.

4:50 p.m.: Heavy rain causes landslide to block stretch of Canyon Road in Burlingame

Crews are out clearing a stretch of road in Burlingame blocked by dirt and rocks after heavy rainfall.

The storm knocked loose a chunk of hillside that blocked part of Canyon Road at El Prado Road.

There are no reports of injury or vehicle damage, but the area has been closed off while the debris is cleared.

4:40 p.m.: BART services delayed due to rain, agency says

BART says they're running trains at slower speeds due to wet weather on Sunday.

The agency is cautioning riders about possible wet stairways and platforms.

You can get the latest train status updates on the BART app or at BART.gov.

4:20 p.m.: Sierra weekend snow totals reported by UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley's Central Sierra Snow Lab in Soda Springs said Sunday morning it received 7.7 inches of snow since Saturday morning.

They reported light snow Sunday and 9,4 inches of snow since the last round of storms began. Lab officials said they're expecting a break Sunday afternoon before heavier snow falls overnight and into Monday.

4 p.m.: All lanes blocked on Hwy 128 in Napa Co. due to fallen trees, Caltrans says

Caltrans says all lanes are blocked on Highway 128 in Napa County between Rutherford Road and Conn Creek Road due to downed trees. It says The ETA to have the road completely cleared is 8 p.m Sunday.

10:30 a.m.: Heavy returns Sunday night

The National Weather Service said Sunday morning that light rain will persist at times throughout the day Sunday in the Bay Area. Heavier rain will be back overnight into Monday morning.

Expect moderate to heavy rain at times and gusty winds. Thunderstorms are possible. Minor flooding of roads and streams is also possible, along with the possibility of shallow landslides due to saturated soil.

The NWS said the greatest potential for water-related impacts is in the North Bay, where a flood watch will be in effect.

A wind advisory will be in effect along the coast. Expect downed branches and trees. Minor flooding near the Bay will occur during high tide cycles, with a coastal flood advisory in effect.

Lightning from possible thunderstorms is possible.

SATURDAY

11 p.m.: Weekend storm leaves San Franciscans worried about flooding as rain picks up

The San Francisco Fire Department is asking drivers to be aware of the wet roads and lower visibility as potential for flooding increases.

The streets of San Francisco were soaked Saturday.

Umbrellas were up and hoodies were on.

"We just want to show our support for the bar, for the Niners," said 49ers fan Megan Intal.

"I'm surprised people are out here. I thought it was just going to be us," said Brandon Shih.

None of these Niners fans were letting the rain put a damper on the day.

"I mean it's a different vibe, right? We want to be watching the game with everyone else instead of just watching the game at home alone," Shih said.

"I was like 'I'm going to come out, and I'm going to see what it's all about,' and I decide to stick with it," said 49ers fan Brandon Williams.

The San Francisco Fire Department is asking drivers to be aware of the wet roads and lower visibility.

"We ask people to slow down a little bit and take some more time to get to where they're going. We also ask the riders and people walking to wear reflective clothing and something with high visibility," said Lt. Mariano Elias, spokesperson for SFFD.

And they say it's a good idea to be a good neighbor.

"There's a lot of flooding in and around the neighborhoods and the SF Water Department has a program called adopt-a-drain, where someone in the neighborhood can be aware of the storm drain and it getting clogged up with leaves and other miscellaneous items on the streets," Elias said.

It's a reality small business owner Santa Barrios of Sophistafunk knows all too well. Her salon was flooded during last year's storms.

"I was about to start a client, and we started hearing a bunch of noise. So what ended up happening is all the gutters were packed with stuff inside, so within minutes, the flooding just happened," Barrios said.

She's been at her Mission District location for nearly 14 years and knows how quickly the area can flood.

"This is the valley here, so everything comes this way. And down at Folsom, it's always, always flooded," Barrios said.

The Public Works Department put up barricades in preparation for the down pouring. People stacked sandbags to protect their homes and businesses, hoping for the best.

"God, I just hope it doesn't flood, you know? And we're prepared, and it doesn't happen again," Barrios said.

6:30 p.m.: New storm brings more wind, rain and possible landslide threat to North Bay

First responders are standing by across the North Bay, ready for possible flooding and landslides.

The next round of rain is moving into the Bay Area and this storm could be quite a soaker. First responders are standing by across the North Bay, ready for possible flooding and landslides.

The storm moved into the Bay Area on Saturday, with the goal of getting everyone wet. The heavy rain was giving Marin County a super soaking but for some drivers, it was time for a pit stop.

"I'm getting new windshield wipers," said Kristen Artigiani.

Artigiani wasn't the only driver looking for help at the O'Reily Auto Parts in Petaluma, where old wipers bit the dust and new ones were installed by employee Garrett Verza.

"This is my first set for today, but I've done tons over the past couple of weeks," said Verza.

"Super awesome. I didn't know how to do it, so he offered to do it for me, and I said thank you. Now I'm ready to go drive around in the rain," said Artigiani.

In Santa Cruz, the CHP posted on X about a toppled 50-foot tree blocking Aptos Street at Soquel Drive. Drivers were asked to find an alternative route. Aptos Street reopened in the early Saturday afternoon.

"We ask people to slow down, stay home if you don't have to go out unless it's essential," said Sonoma County Fire District Captain, Jason Jones.

Sonoma County firefighters are watching the hills for possible landslides like one which occurred last winter on River Road in Guerneville. They're also keeping a close eye on the Russian River, which is well below flood stage.

"We've got a ways to go but if the rains continue or get heavier, it's something we're going to keep an eye on, we do have a swift water rescue team ready to deploy at any moment, we have all equipment ready and staged," said Jones.

In Mill Valley, umbrellas were up across town.

We found activist, Artis White trying to raise awareness about teen bullying in schools, the rain not dampening her message.

"It's a passion driven thing. It's no problem for me to be standing out here for the kids," said White.

The message to everyone this weekend...

"Stay safe and stay dry," Jones said.

4:30 p.m.: Flood Watch issued for North Bay Area starting Sunday night, NWS says

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch, meaning hazardous weather is possible, for the North Bay from 8 p.m. Sunday through 10 p.m. Monday.

Excessive rainfall may bring minor to moderate flooding with rapid rises in creeks and streams and a risk of landslides in Napa, Sonoma and Marin counties, forecasters said Saturday afternoon.

One to two inches of rain is expected by early Monday for the North Bay valleys, the weather service said.

Two to three inches is possible for the coastal mountains, and as much as four inches across the highest peaks, forecasters said.

The rest of the Bay Area is expected to receive from a half inch to one-and-a-half inches, according to forecasters.

Bay City News contributed to this report.

This story will be updated with new information as it is available.

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