Powerful winds roared into California on Wednesday, already toppling trees as crews rushed to clear storm drains and people fortified their homes in preparation for flooding and power outages.
California Gov. Gavin B次元官网网址om declared a state of emergency to allow for a quick response and to aid in cleanup from another powerful storm just days earlier. Dozens of flights were cancelled at the San Francisco International Airport, and South San Francisco schools preemptively cancelled Thursday classes. As the storm intensified, state officials warned residents in Northern California to stay off the roads.
Officials asked drivers to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary B次元官网网址� and to stay informed by signing up for updates from emergency officials about downed trees and power lines, and flooding. In Northern California, a 25-mile (40-kilometer) stretch of Highway 101 was closed between the towns of Trinidad and Orick due to several downed trees.
B次元官网网址淲e anticipate that this may be one of the most challenging and impactful series of storms to touch down in California in the last five years,B次元官网网址� said Nancy Ward, the new director of the California GovernorB次元官网网址檚 Office of Emergency Services.
The storm, set to be in full force in Northern California by Wednesday evening, is one of three so-called in the last week to reach the drought-stricken state. Because the statesB次元官网网址� major reservoirs are at a record low from a dry three-year period, they have plenty of room to fill with more water from the impending storm, officials said.
Still, trees are already stressed from years of limited rain. Now that the grounds are suddenly saturated and winds are heavy, trees are more likely to fall. That could cause widespread power outages or create flood hazards, said Karla Nemeth, director of the stateB次元官网网址檚 Department of Water Resources.
B次元官网网址淲e are in the middle of a flood emergency and also in the middle of a drought emergency,B次元官网网址� she said during an emergency briefing.
The storm comes days after a New YearB次元官网网址檚 Eve downpour led to the evacuations of people in rural Northern California communities and the rescue of several motorists from flooded roads. A few levees south of Sacramento were damaged.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, 8,500 sandbags distributed by officials werenB次元官网网址檛 enough to reach demand Wednesday as forecasters warned of imminent flooding. The South San Francisco Unified School District announced classes for its 8,000 students would be canceled Thursday B次元官网网址渙ut of an abundance of caution.B次元官网网址�
Heavy downpours accompanied by winds with gusts of up to 60 mph (96 kph) were expected later Wednesday and through Thursday, making driving conditions difficult, the National Weather Service said. In Southern California, the storm was expected to peak in intensity overnight, with Santa Barbara and Ventura counties likely to see the most rain, forecasters said.
Aaron Johnson, Pacific Gas & Electric regional vice president for the Bay Area, said the company has more than 3,000 employees working in crews of three to five people to assess damages to their equipment and restore power as soon as possible.
Robert OB次元官网网址橬eill, an insurance broker who lives and works just south of San Francisco, said he lined up to get sandbags for his garage and for a co-workerB次元官网网址檚 home to prepare for the storm.
As president of Town & Country Insurance Services, he gave employees the option of working from home Wednesday, which many did, he said. He plans to leave the office early and head home where he has go-bags packed with clothes, medicine, electronic chargers and important papers. He has sleeping bags and three daysB次元官网网址� worth of water, nuts and protein bars.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e in a big city, so we wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be too stranded too long, but you never know,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t doesnB次元官网网址檛 make sense not to be prepared.B次元官网网址�
The storms in California still arenB次元官网网址檛 enough to officially end the drought, now entering its fourth year. The U.S. Drought Monitor showed that most of the state is in severe to extreme drought.
Elsewhere, in the Midwest, ice and heavy snow has taken a toll this week, closing down schools in Minnesota and western Wisconsin B次元官网网址� and causing a jet to go off after landing in a snowstorm in Minneapolis. No passengers were injured, Delta airlines said.
To the south, a possible tornado damaged homes, downed trees and flipped a vehicle on its side in Montgomery, Alabama, early Wednesday. Christina Thornton, director of the Montgomery Emergency Management Agency, said radar indicated a possible, but unconfirmed, tornado. The storm had extremely high winds and moved through the area before dawn, she said.
Staff from the National Weather ServiceB次元官网网址檚 Chicago office planned to survey storm damage on Wednesday following at least six tornados, the largest number of rare January tornadoes recorded in the state since 1989.
B次元官网网址擮lga R. Rodriguez, The Associated Press
