More than 9,000 California residents were under evacuation orders Friday in California after a new atmospheric river brought heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, swelling rivers and creeks and flooding several major highways during the morning commute
Crews assess storm damage, which washed out North Main Street in Soquel, Calif., Friday, March 10, 2023. SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — — More than 9,000 California residents were under evacuation orders Friday as a new atmospheric river brought heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, swelling rivers and creeks and flooding several major highways during the morning commute.
Evacuations were also ordered in nearby Watsonville and the central California counties of Kern and Tulare in small communities near rivers and creeks. In the San Francisco Bay Area, flooding blocked portions of several major highways, including Interstate 580 in Oakland, disrupting travel. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared emergencies in 34 counties in recent weeks, and the Biden administration approved a presidential disaster declaration for some on Friday morning, a move that will bring more federal assistance into the state.
The snowpack at high elevations is so massive it was expected to be able to absorb the rain, but snow below 4,000 feet could start to melt, potentially contributing to flooding, forecasters said. Forecasters warned that mountain travel could be difficult to impossible during the latest storm. At high elevations, the storm was predicted to dump heavy snow, as much as 8 feet over several days.
So much snow has fallen in the Sierra and other mountain ranges that residents are still struggling to dig out days after earlier storms.Roofs collapsed, cars were buried and roads were blockedThis week, firefighter-paramedics began delivering prescription medications to residents who are still unable to leave their homes, said fire Capt. Steve Concialdi, a spokesperson for San Bernardino County's emergency response.
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