Soaking storm floods Southern California prior to Christmas
By
Jessica Storm, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Published Dec 22, 2021 11:00 AM EDT
|
Updated Dec 26, 2021 4:48 AM EDT
While urging travelers to stay dry and stay safe during the holidays, a passing police car drenched this officer with rainwater in Reno, Nevada, on Dec. 23.
A potent storm unleashed a deluge across California prior to Christmas Day, leaving at least two people dead and some roadways flooded and blocked by debris flows.
Heavy rain caused an underpass in Millbrae, California, to flood Thursday morning. A vehicle was submerged as a result of the flooding. Two people were found dead inside the vehicle, according to CBS San Francisco. Sheriff's Detective Javier Acosta said the fire department noticed a person standing on the roof of a vehicle when they realized a second vehicle was submerged.
"After they rescued the first person, they tried to gain access to the vehicle in the water. However, the conditions changed rapidly and it became too dangerous for the responders. The water was rising very rapidly and they had to retreat," said Acosta.
On Thursday afternoon, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak announced an early closure of state government offices in northern Nevada due to dangerous road conditions from continued flooding.
Also on Thursday, an evacuation advisory was issued for some residents in Twain Harte after cracks were found in a dam. Water is being released from the lake which will contribute to rising water levels downstream. This comes as the area experiences waves of snow, rain and wind.
Rain continued in portions of Northern and Central California into Thursday evening and expanded southward into Los Angeles and San Diego. Numerous reports of flash flooding and debris flows were recorded across Southern California on Thursday night.
North of San Bernardino, reports of stranded vehicles, washed-out guard rails and roadways came in late Thursday evening, according to Caltrans. Roads such as SR-18 and SR-38 were a few of the roadways impacted.
Officials recommend motorists leave extra space between cars, stay aware of their surroundings and slow down. Driving with caution can help avoid countless accidents during the holiday season.
Rainfall amounts as of Friday morning were generally 1-3 inches across Southern California with local amounts past 5 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
At least one SoCal city experienced its wettest Christmas Eve on record this year.
"In Palm Springs, Christmas Eve in 1959 was the wettest on record with 0.44 of an inch of rain," added Duff.
This year, 0.54 of an inch of rain fell on Christmas Eve, smashing the record that had stood for more than 60 years.
While all this rain was a nuisance for one of the busiest travel times of the year, it has served to help relieve some of the drought conditions weighing on the Southwest. Nearly 25% of California is experiencing exceptional drought conditions, according to the United States Drought Monitor. About 80% of the state is in extreme drought.
Rain and mountain snow likely won't stop early this upcoming week either, and waves of moisture are expected to continue pounding the region through the end of December. Some of this snow could even be heavy enough to shut roads down.
"Multiple periods of heavy snow over Donner Pass can close I-80 for a time," said AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok, emphasizing the major travel issues that could ensue between Christmas and New Year's Eve.
For those weary of the seemingly endless parade of storms, AccuWeather long-range forecasters predict storms in the West will pack less of a punch after the calendar turns to 2022.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Winter Weather
Soaking storm floods Southern California prior to Christmas
By Jessica Storm, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Published Dec 22, 2021 11:00 AM EDT | Updated Dec 26, 2021 4:48 AM EDT
While urging travelers to stay dry and stay safe during the holidays, a passing police car drenched this officer with rainwater in Reno, Nevada, on Dec. 23.
A potent storm unleashed a deluge across California prior to Christmas Day, leaving at least two people dead and some roadways flooded and blocked by debris flows.
Heavy rain caused an underpass in Millbrae, California, to flood Thursday morning. A vehicle was submerged as a result of the flooding. Two people were found dead inside the vehicle, according to CBS San Francisco. Sheriff's Detective Javier Acosta said the fire department noticed a person standing on the roof of a vehicle when they realized a second vehicle was submerged.
"After they rescued the first person, they tried to gain access to the vehicle in the water. However, the conditions changed rapidly and it became too dangerous for the responders. The water was rising very rapidly and they had to retreat," said Acosta.
On Thursday afternoon, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak announced an early closure of state government offices in northern Nevada due to dangerous road conditions from continued flooding.
Also on Thursday, an evacuation advisory was issued for some residents in Twain Harte after cracks were found in a dam. Water is being released from the lake which will contribute to rising water levels downstream. This comes as the area experiences waves of snow, rain and wind.
Rain continued in portions of Northern and Central California into Thursday evening and expanded southward into Los Angeles and San Diego. Numerous reports of flash flooding and debris flows were recorded across Southern California on Thursday night.
North of San Bernardino, reports of stranded vehicles, washed-out guard rails and roadways came in late Thursday evening, according to Caltrans. Roads such as SR-18 and SR-38 were a few of the roadways impacted.
Officials recommend motorists leave extra space between cars, stay aware of their surroundings and slow down. Driving with caution can help avoid countless accidents during the holiday season.
Rainfall amounts as of Friday morning were generally 1-3 inches across Southern California with local amounts past 5 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
At least one SoCal city experienced its wettest Christmas Eve on record this year.
"In Palm Springs, Christmas Eve in 1959 was the wettest on record with 0.44 of an inch of rain," added Duff.
This year, 0.54 of an inch of rain fell on Christmas Eve, smashing the record that had stood for more than 60 years.
While all this rain was a nuisance for one of the busiest travel times of the year, it has served to help relieve some of the drought conditions weighing on the Southwest. Nearly 25% of California is experiencing exceptional drought conditions, according to the United States Drought Monitor. About 80% of the state is in extreme drought.
Rain and mountain snow likely won't stop early this upcoming week either, and waves of moisture are expected to continue pounding the region through the end of December. Some of this snow could even be heavy enough to shut roads down.
"Multiple periods of heavy snow over Donner Pass can close I-80 for a time," said AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok, emphasizing the major travel issues that could ensue between Christmas and New Year's Eve.
For those weary of the seemingly endless parade of storms, AccuWeather long-range forecasters predict storms in the West will pack less of a punch after the calendar turns to 2022.
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For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
Report a Typo