California braces for intense 'atmospheric river' storms; evacuation and flood warnings issued

A road closure sign on a flooded road during a storm in Fontana, California, US.

A pair of storms are drenching California again this weekend, delivering additional rounds of heavy rain that raises worries about high risks of flooding and mudslides.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has predicted that a plume of moisture from the Pacific Ocean will surge across the region on Saturday. The rain will begin in southern Oregon and northern California and then spread down into central and southern California, which may increase flooding and landslides, particularly in Southern California, Fox News Weather reported.

From the San Francisco area south to the some parts of Los Angeles, the NWS has issued a Flood Watch for the majority of California’s coastline, which includes roughly 27 million people.

The first storm is forecast to be lighter than the second, but “will act as a primer, increasing soil moisture and causing streams and rivers to rise before the heavier rain on Sunday” from the second storm, according to the NWS.

Most impactful storm to impact California on Sunday

Santa Barbara County emergency management officials issued evacuation warnings in some areas on Saturday, ahead of the impending storm.

The second, more powerful storm will arrive on Sunday afternoon and remain near the coast until early next week, increasing the likelihood of heavy rain through Wednesday throughout the state. The NWS issued a flood watch for the county starting Sunday afternoon and running until Wednesday morning.

The northern section of the state will see the most impactful weather on Sunday, with 1 to 3 inches of rain in the plains and 3 to 5 inches in higher elevations.

“Soils around the Bay Area are near saturation, so the rainfall will runoff quickly and likely contribute to numerous shallow landslides along areas of steep terrain,” the NWS office in San Francisco stated.

“Streams and small rivers will rise quickly (likely even faster due to the antecedent conditions), trees will be more prone to falling even with lower wind speeds, mud and rocks slides are almost a guarantee in the hills and mountains, and area roads will be very hazardous, especially during periods of heavier rain. Residents are encouraged to begin storm preparations as soon as possible before the rain starts,” it continued.

California highway closed following storm threats

The California Department of Transportation issued a notice on Friday stating that State Route 33 in Los Padres Forest, north of Los Angeles, would be completely blocked due to simultaneousstorms.

Caltrans announced that SR-33 would be closed completely between Saturday and Wednesday.

“SR-33 has 1-way alternating traffic control at 5 locations between Maitlija Hot Springs Rd. & Lockwood Valley Rd. to repair storm damage from last winter,” the agency wrote on X.

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