California storms: More rain moves into region; Bay Area still under flood watch

MARIN COUNTY – One of the most important roads in the North Bay, a stretch of Highway 37 remained shut down Sunday due to flooding.

As of Sunday night, the road was shut down between Highway 101 and Atherton Avenue in Marin County. Workers used multiple pumps to drain water away from the road down into Novato Creek.

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PESCADERO – The tiny San Mateo coastal community of Pescadero has been one of the spots hit hardest by the series of storms. On Saturday night, they were flooded again.

Pescadero Marsh is where all the water running down from the mountains drains into the sea. In between is the town of Pescadero itself. 

For the last few weeks, living in the small community of several hundred residents has been quite an adventure.

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BELMONT – A home in Belmont has been red-tagged due to a storm-related mudslide that took place inches away from the residence on Saturday.

According to officials, the slide took place between two residences along the 2800 block of San Juan Boulevard.

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Authorities near San Miguel said the search for a young boy who was lost in floodwaters last week resumed Sunday after weather conditions improved.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff tweeted an update about the ongoing search for 5-year-old Kyle Doan at around 2:40 p.m. Sunday afternoon, saying that search crews were back on the case. 

ALSO READ: Tiny flood victim's final words -- 'Mom, it's OK. Just be calm'

"Weather and water conditions have improved enough to allow crews to resume search operations this afternoon in San Marcos Creek and Salinas River," the tweet read. 

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More snow pounded the Sierra Sunday as officials advised holiday travelers hoping to enjoy fresh powder at Tahoe ski resorts to postpone driving until after Monday evening.

The current forecast calls for additional accumulations of one to two feet of snow with snow levels in the 3,500-4,000 feet elevation range. Wind gusts up to 40-50 mph are expected at peaks. 

The Caltrans District 10 Twitter account issued a travel advisory, saying drivers should wait until after 10 p.m. Monday evening to try to get to the snow given the dangerous conditions.

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Authorities in downgraded several evacuation orders and warnings Sunday afternoon.

Shortly after 1:30 p.m., the county's Department of Emergency Management tweeted that the sheriff had lifted the evacuation order for residents of all evacuation zones in or near the Carmel River. 

The sheriff also lifted the evacuation warnings that had been in effect for all zones near the Big Sur River in Big Sur.  

The department also confirmed that the Salinas police and fire departments have lifted the evacuation warnings for residents in the area of Carr Lake.

An evacuation map showing zones is available online. 

Caltrans partially reopened state Highway 92 near Half Moon Bay Saturday evening, though it remains closed in the westbound direction.

Last week, a large sinkhole opened up on the westbound side of the highway, closing it in both directions as Caltrans began repairs.

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A San Francisco woman was killed by a tree branch that fell at Golden Gate Park Saturday evening. 

The incident happened at around 5 p.m. A jogger called for help after she saw an elderly woman down on the ground next to the tree.

First responders made attempts to save her life, but she did not survive.

The woman has not been identified.

BART trains are running at slower speeds Sunday morning due to the wet weather. 

In an advisory at 8:10 a.m., BART officials said to plan to add 20 minutes to a normal commute time.

Real-time updates can be found at BART's official website.

A partial collapse of Stage Road near Pescadero has led to the road being shut down, according to authorities.

The collapse happened on the 4100 block of Stage Road. The Calfire CZU Twitter and Facebook accounts shared images and video of the collapse Saturday. The video actually showed a portion of the roadway sliding down the hillside after erosion from the recent rainfall caused the collapse.

  There is currently no estimated time of reopening the roadway.

Gusty winds whipped through the Golden Gate Bridge Saturday, toppling a big rig that triggered a traffic nightmare that lingered for hours.

"The #1 and #2 southbound and northbound lanes are blocked on the Golden Gate Bridge due to an overturned big rig," the California Highway Patrol tweeted early Saturday evening. "High-profile vehicles should avoid the area due to high winds. Please avoid the area and use an alternate route." 

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Relentless storms from a series of atmospheric rivers have saturated the steep mountains and bald hillsides scarred from wildfires along much of California's long coastline, causing hundreds of landslides this month.

So far the debris has mostly blocked roads and highways and has not harmed communities as in 2018 when mudslides roared through Montecito, killing 23 people and wiping out 130 homes.

But more rain is in the forecast, increasing the threat.

Experts say California has learned important lessons from the Montecito tragedy, and has more tools to pinpoint the hot spots and more basins and nets are in place to capture the falling debris before it hits homes. The recent storms are putting those efforts to the test as climate change produces more severe weather.

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Evacuation orders have been issued for low-lying areas of Carmel River effective immediately, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office said Saturday in an alert sent out at 1:01 p.m.

The order includes the Carmel River north of Klondike Canyon Road/Carmel Valley Road and south of Rancho San Carlos Road. The order upgraded evacuation warnings to evacuation orders.

Cal Fire CZU tweeted photos showing the 4100 block of Stage Road near Pescadero is closed due to a partial collapse.

Rising flood waters of the San Lorenzo River forced residents to flee their homes for a second time in a week in Felton Grove and Soquel Village Saturday morning.

Santa Cruz County officials sent deputies door to door in both communities that were hard hit by the swollen river waters on Monday.

Officials in Santa Clara County issued evacuation warnings for several trouble spots in the South Bay early Friday evening, including the watershed area of Uvas Reservoir.

The Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management tweeted out information regarding the evacuation warnings shortly after 6 p.m.

In addition to the Uvas Reservoir watershed which includes several RV parks, the warnings also cover the area south of Pacheco Pass (Highway 152) and east of U.S. Highway 101 and the Pacheco Pass River Basin.

County emergency officials said the prolonged stretch of winter storms since late December have brought heavy rain and high winds to the region. As a result, these unusual rain levels have created impacts that include soils near or at their saturation point, creeks, streams, and rivers reaching or exceeding flood stage, and low-lying area experiencing flooding, including road crossings. There is also an increased risk of rocks and sediments dislodging from the hillsides. 

Officials added that driving will be challenging during periods of gusty winds, especially for high-profile vehicles, including emergency response vehicles.  

Residents in those areas are advised to prepare to evacuate if needed. People should gather important items including medications, vital documents and chargers for laptop computers and cell phones and be ready to leave at a moments notice.  

A Wind Advisory has been issued for the entire San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Coast region due to Saturday's storm.

The storm that will arrive early Saturday will be powered by a cold front, bringing a period of high winds Saturday morning with gusts up to 50 mph. The advisory will be in effect from the pre-dawn hours through early Saturday afternoon.

Residents are advised to prepare accordingly for possible power outages due to fallen trees and downed power lines. All loose outdoor furniture should be secured.

Three people were rescued after the car they were riding in nearly plunged over a steep cliff on a country road in the Santa Cruz Mountains on Friday.

On their Facebook page, California Highway Patrol, Santa Cruz posted photos and a brief description of the rescue by a CHP officer identified only as Officer Murphy.

According to the CHP, the officer arrived at the location in the area of 855 Old Mill Road sometime after 11 a.m. to find three very frightened occupants of the vehicle and he managed to calm them then helped get them to safety.

Patrol car dashcam photos showed a silver car hanging over the edge of the cliff with just its two rear wheels still on pavement.

It appeared possible the cliff had formed as a result of a landslide but the CHP did not make that clear nor were identities of those rescued released.

A mudslide slammed into multiple apartment buildings in Fairfax Friday morning, leading to at least one building being red-tagged and the displacement of more than a dozen people.

The Marin County Sheriff's Office said the slide happened just before 10 a.m. Friday on the 300 block of Olema Road in Fairfax. The slide penetrated at least two apartments of one building and impacted two others.

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Dumpsters are being made available for residents in Carmel Valley who are returning to their homes and have debris from winter storms that prompted the evacuation of the area earlier this week, Monterey County officials said Friday.

Parts of Carmel Valley were ordered to evacuate Monday due to concerns of flooding from the Carmel River. All of the evacuation orders in the area were downgraded to evacuation warnings as of Thursday, allowing residents to return to see what damage the storm might have caused to their properties. 

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Friday morning saw the Salinas River above flood stage as the rain began falling, but it was below forecasted levels.

The National Weather Service had forecast the river level near Spreckels to be at 26.2 at around 6 a.m. Friday. The observed level at 5 a.m. was 24.27 feet, while the flood stage is 23 feet. An updated forecast said the river was expected to crest at 24.9 feet at about 5 p.m. Friday.

The weather service has issued a Flood Warning for the Salinas River, saying minor flooding is forecast in the Spreckels area just south of Salinas and urging motorists not to drive around barricades or drive through flooded areas. The warning was in effect until further notice.

"At 24 feet, the lowest areas of agricultural land along the lower portions of the Salinas River will have significant flooding," the weather service warned. "River Road will have moderate flooding. Spreckels Boulevard will begin to flood."

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Like so many other Bay Area residents, the impact of the historic parade of storms seems to be on the mind of 49ers star George Kittle as he and his teammates prepare to meet the Seattle Seahawks in an NFC playoff game.

On Thursday, a frustrated Kittle took to social media. 

"Yo @PGE4Me I've been without power going on 4 days. A lil help would be appreciated thanks. Just trying to prepare for something this weekend," he posted on his Twitter account.

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Atmospheric rivers pounding California since late last year have coated mountains with a full winter's worth of snow and begun raising reservoir levels but experts say it will take much more precipitation to reverse the effects of years of drought.

The U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly update released on Thursday showed that "extreme" drought has been virtually eliminated a week after the worst category -- "exceptional" -- was washed off the map. Two weeks ago extreme drought covered 35% of California.

The Drought Monitor characterized the improvement as a significant reduction in drought intensity but cautioned that large parts of the state have moisture deficits that have been entrenched for two or three years.

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CHP confirmed Wednesday that CA-92 is currently shut down in both directions at Upper Skyline Boulevard in San Mateo County due to "unsafe conditions." 

The closure was first reported shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday morning.

CHP said the closure at Skyline Boulevard -- also known as State Route 35 -- was due to unsafe road conditions due to weather. There were additional CHP reports that the issue was a sinkhole, but CHP had reopened the highway to limited westbound traffic at around 6:30 p.m.

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The National Weather Service issued a Flood Warning for the Salinas River, saying minor flooding is forecast in the Spreckels area just south of Salinas and urging motorists not to drive around barricades or drive through flooded areas. The warning was in effect until further notice.

"At 24 feet, the lowest areas of agricultural land along the lower portions of the Salinas River will have significant flooding," the weather service warned. "River Road will have moderate flooding. Spreckels Boulevard will begin to flood."

Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto warned there was a possibility that the peninsula — which includes the towns of Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach and Carmel — could become an island due to flooding.

"Unfortunately the ground is really saturated and everybody knows that and there's nowhere for the water to go except for the rivers and our waterways," Nieto told reporters at a news conference.

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The North Bay drought picture has markedly improved over the past few weeks. This atmospheric river storm sequence is what many water districts have been hoping to see for years.

"Since New Year's Day, we've recorded 15 inches of rain at Lake Lagunitas. That's one of the district's seven reservoirs. As of Tuesday morning, all of our reservoirs are full," said Adriane Martens with Marin Water.

The utility said it would continue to ask residents to follow its restrictions to prepare for future drought conditions.

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