Gov. Newsom declares state of emergency as latest atmospheric river storm arrives

SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for California late Wednesday morning as a large winter storm powered by an atmospheric river arrived.

The declaration "will allow the state to respond quickly as the storm develops" in addition to providing support for local jurisdictions, the statement said.  

"We 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," said Nancy Ward, the new director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.

The storm is one of three so-called atmospheric river storms in the last week to reach the drought-stricken state. Because the states' 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 state's Department of Water Resources.

"We are in the middle of a flood emergency and also in the middle of a drought emergency," she said during an emergency briefing.

A number of local cities and counties in the Bay Area had already declared an emergency.

Santa Cruz County, already reeling from ongoing storm damage before the New Year's atmospheric river, was among the jurisdictions declaring a local emergency ahead of the latest wave of wet weather hitting the region Wednesday. 

In Monterey County, the city of Salinas also declared a local emergency. In addition, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office issued and evacuation warning for areas of the Parajo community Wednesday morning.

The cities of San Jose and Danville, as well as San Mateo County, have each proclaimed a local emergency in response to the latest atmospheric river storm. The local emergency declaration allows jurisdictions to expedite their disaster response.

Damage from storms last Friday and Saturday caused an estimated $10 million in damage in Santa Clara County, according to a press release from county administrative officer Carlos Palacios. That number is expected to grow as damage from those storms is assessed and as the county prepares for more damage from storms hitting the Central Coast Wednesday and Thursday.

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San José Mayor Matt Mahan said the city was coordinating with Valley Water, the National Weather Service and the County to prepare and scale operations to deal with the coming storms. The proclamation provides emergency powers to the city of San Jose needed to respond to the storm events. 

In addition, the city issued an evacuation order to people living within or along waterways.

San Mateo County on Tuesday activated its Emergency Operations Center in addition to declaring a local state of emergency. The Emergency Operations Center coordinates resources and communication with local, regional and state agencies and response partners. 

"These storms have already displaced some residents and caused damage. It is important we have a coordinated response to prioritize public safety, especially for those who reside in areas more prone to flooding," said Mike Callagy, the County executive. Callagy, who also serves as the County's Director of Emergency Services. 

San Mateo County saw major impacts from the New Year's weekend storm, including flooding that closed major roads and highways, evacuations and sewer treatment plans at risk of failure.

The county has secured local hotel rooms for residents displaced by flooding and was preparing an area for mass evacuation should that be necessary. 

In Danville, the emergency proclamation will remain in effect until noon on Tuesday, Jan. 10. The declaration allows Danville greater flexibility to contract for and obtain supplies for a more expedient disaster response.

Danville's emergency declaration comes as crews continue to clear mud from flooded areas, and engineers are also out along Diablo Road between Fairway Drive and Alameda Diablo, where the storm caused erosion along the eastbound side of the road.

There is also a downed tree blocking Alameda Diablo (within the unincorporated community of Diablo). Diablo Road is currently open to one-way traffic only. As a safety precaution, motorists should avoid the area.

READ MORE: Santa Cruz County declares emergency as storm damage estimate passes $10 million

Danville already provided nearly 5,000 sandbags during and after the New Year's Eve storm and is working to replenish the sandbag station. An additional 5,000 bags and additional sand are available 24/7 at the town maintenance center, at 1000 Sherburne Hills Road, off Camino Tassajara next to the post office.

The sandbag station is experiencing long lines before the upcoming storm, and any community volunteers who would like to assist in filling bags are welcome.

Residents can contact the police department for safety concerns at (925) 820-2144. To request non-urgent assistance for clean-up or other concerns, call Danville Maintenance Services at (925) 314-3450 or go to www.danville.ca.gov/danvilleconnect.

For assistance with county-maintained or privately-maintained creeks, call county public works at (925) 313-7000 or email admin@pw.ccounty.us. For power outage information, go to www.pge.com/outagealerts. Weather can be monitored at www.weather.gov/mtr.