Live Updates: Bay Area recovers from devastating Level 3 storm damage, power outages

KGO
Last updated: Tuesday, December 17, 2024 7:45AM GMT
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SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A tornado ripped through a Santa Cruz County neighborhood Saturday, injuring several people, flipping over cars and leaving behind damage.

Cleanup will likely continue for several days in the aftermath of the tornado.

The first-ever tornado warning was issued in San Francisco, and the rare weather occurrence is jolting Bay Area residents.

Read the latest storm updates below.

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

Bay Area Power Outage Map

Bay City News
Dec 15, 2024, 7:11 AM GMT

PG&E says number of residents without power still over 20,000 in latest update

The storm that barreled through the Bay Area on Saturday disrupted power to almost 31,000 PG&E customers, the utility said.

By 9:30 p.m. Saturday, 21,663 were still out, spokesman JD Guidi said in a press release.

The most heavily affected area was the North Bay, which saw 19,906 interruptions from tree limbs and other debris falling into power lines and damaging equipment, according to the utility.

The company said 698 customers lost power in San Francisco, 4,657 on the Peninsula, 4,605 in the East Bay and 1,121 in the South Bay.

At the height of storm, about 216,000 customers were without power across the utility's service area in northern and central California, PG&E said in the press release.

"PG&E crews and resources are responding safely and as quickly as possible to storm-related outages," the utility said. "There are approximately 5,700 personnel involved in our storm response."

"This response includes staging power poles, powerlines, transformers and other electric equipment in key locations throughout our service area to restore power to affected areas safely and as quickly as possible."

BAY AREA POWER OUTAGE MAP

Bay City News
Dec 15, 2024, 6:28 AM GMT

PG&E still working to restore power to thousands of Bay Area residents

The storm that barreled through the Bay Area on Saturday disrupted power to almost 31,000 PG&E customers, the utility said.

The most heavily affected area was the North Bay, which had 19,906 interruptions from tree limbs and other debris falling into power lines and damaging equipment, spokesman JD Guidi said in a press release.

The utility said 698 customers lost power in San Francisco, 4,657 on the Peninsula, 4,605 in the East Bay and 1,121 in the South Bay.

At the height of storm, about 216,000 customers were without power across the utility's service area in northern and central California, PG&E said in the press release..

"PG&E crews and resources are responding safely and as quickly as possible to storm-related outages," the utility said. "There are approximately 5,700 personnel involved in our storm response."

"This response includes staging power poles, powerlines, transformers and other electric equipment in key locations throughout our service area to restore power to affected areas safely and as quickly as possible."

BAY AREA POWER OUTAGE MAP

KGO
Dec 15, 2024, 5:30 AM GMT

Tornado in Santa Cruz Co. categorized as EF1, NWS says

In a preliminary report released Saturday evening, the National Weather Service categorized the tornado that touched down in Scotts Valley in the afternoon as an EF1 "moderate" twister.

Authorities said that about six cars were flipped. Debris was thrown around, which did significant damage to businesses and cars parked along the tornado's path. PG&E power lines and poles were torn down. A massive tree was ripped up from its roots and landed on part of the middle school.

Police and fire had to help evacuate people trapped by down power lines in parking lots. Authorities said in all, five people were injured, but none with life-threatening injuries.

ByCornell Barnard, KGO
Dec 15, 2024, 2:11 AM GMT

San Francisco residents assess damage after storm brings fierce winds, tornado warning

The Bay Area is cleaning up and drying out after a fierce storm moved through, bringing heavy rain and even a tornado warning.

The Bay Area is cleaning up and drying out after a fierce storm moved through, bringing heavy rain and even a tornado warning. High winds created a lot of damage.

"It was the scariest sound I've ever heard, like this loud roar, best I can describe it," said Carmen Marin.

Marin woke up to heavy rain and strong winds outside her family's Folsom Street home in the Mission, then a crash.

"We came out, two trees were down. Unfortunately, our car was in the way," said Marin.

The family car was totaled by the large trees. Other cars were crushed too.

"When I finally looked at the app, to see what the message was, it said tornado warning," Marin said.

Thousands of people in San Francisco and Daly City got a tornado warning alert early Saturday on their phones. It expired a short time later but many swear it felt like a twister moving through.

"We heard a swirling, going around and around. It came all the way like that," said Ted Ramirez.

"It was a tornado warning, which confused me. Tornados are in Kansas and stuff. I thought it was an earthquake because the house was shaking," said Alex Shader.

A toppled tree took out Shader's front window. The fierce winds left a trail of debris through many parts of the city. San Francisco Department of Public Works crews were on cleanup duty.

"We're doing our best to get it together and make sure everyone is safe. It's a mess everywhere. Trees are falling. It's a mess," said Rashida Saucier from SFDPW.

Across town, large trees fell across Fulton Street. The cleanup lasted for hours. In Golden Gate Park, several giant eucalyptus trees came down on JFK Drive and Chain of Lakes Drive East. On Debose and Misson, a large tree toppled.

The San Francisco Fire Department says it got more than 100 calls for service about the storm.

"Related to the damage in San Francisco, it was spread on the avenues, through downtown San Francisco. Nobody was immune to the effects of the storm," said SFFD Captain Jonathan Baxter.

As of Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service had not confirmed a tornado touched down in San Francisco.