Wet, Windy Weekend Storms Begin Pounding Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Wind, rain and flooding hit the Bay Area Saturday, impacting boaters on the bay and travelers at San Francisco International Airport, weather officials said.
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Saturday's high winds and rough waves caused the skipper of a pleasure craft to lose control of the boat as it traveled from San Francisco to Alameda. The boater made a distress call around 11:30 a.m., the U.S. Coast Guard reported.
After making the call, the skipper was eventually able to regain control and safely steered the boat into the Oakland Estuary, with no injuries to those aboard, Coast Guard officials said.
Flights at SFO were delayed as long as two hours and 40 minutes, with 73 flights canceled altogether and another 312 delayed as of the early afternoon, according to Jeff Rocheford, a duty manager at SFO.
"Passengers should check with their airlines before coming to the airport," Rocheford said. "There is a definite possibility of delayed or canceled flights." He estimated that the airport's operational capacity was cut by about half.
At San Jose International Airport, there were no significant delays, said airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes.
The San Francisco Department of Public Works on Saturday morning posted a photo of flooding at the Embarcadero, with the waters of the bay washing over the sidewalk almost all the way to the street.
Southerly winds of 20-30 mph and gusts up to 45 mph are expected through Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
Widespread rain is expected, with one to three inches falling in the North Bay and coastal areas, weather officials said.
Under these conditions, drivers should slow down, increase following distance, and allow extra driving time, the California Highway Patrol said. Also, if it is raining heavily enough to turn on the wipers, headlights should be on as well.
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