A harmful sequence of storms from the Pacific Ocean is sweeping via Northern California and the Sierra Nevada Mountains –– prompting heavy flooding and street closures throughout elements of the area throughout the busy vacation travel season.
At least one individual is lifeless after flash floods inundated Redding, roughly 150 miles north of Sacramento, in line with Redding Mayor Mike Littau, who mentioned police and fireplace crews carried out water rescues Sunday.
The mayor didn’t give additional particulars on the fatality, and officers haven’t mentioned what number of water rescues had been carried out.
Shasta County, the place Redding is situated, was hit notably laborious Sunday night, with heavy rain flooding a number of roadways, together with elements of Interstate 5, in line with officers. A flash flood warning was in impact for Redding and different elements of the county Sunday evening, in line with the National Weather Service.
Redding police mentioned they had been responding to “numerous calls for stranded motorists” and urged drivers to keep away from flooded streets.
Several lanes of Interstate 5 in a single half of Redding had been submerged Sunday, in line with a photograph shared by the California Highway Patrol on Facebook. Redding police additionally posted a photograph on Instagram that confirmed automobiles driving on a street that was coated with water.
One man in Shasta County posted video of his son standing within the center of a street flooded by a close-by creek. The man, Paul Mast, mentioned they had been on their method to a household Christmas gathering however needed to flip round as a result of floodwaters had washed out half of the street.
Shasta County and different elements of Northern California stay underneath a flood warning till noon Monday, whereas a lot of Central California is underneath a flood watch till Friday, in line with the NWS.
Northern California will see its heaviest rainfall Monday and Tuesday – when as much as 5 inches are anticipated throughout the Northern Sierra and three inches alongside the coastal areas, the NWS said Sunday. The area is underneath a stage 3 of 4 danger of extreme rainfall via Tuesday morning, the NWS added in an update.
Flash flooding may additionally change into a priority on the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains via Tuesday, the NWS warned, with landslides, rockfalls and mudslides potential.
Heavy snow can also be forecast over the Sierras, the place an extra 2 to 4 ft is predicted – a stark distinction from the snow drought the Sierras are presently experiencing.
As of late Sunday, greater than 1,000 prospects had been with out energy in California’s Sierra County – almost a 3rd of its prospects, in line with PowerOutage.US.
By late Tuesday, the menace of floods will transfer southward into central to southern California as one other storm system begins to strengthen off the coast. Northern California faces “another surge of heavy precipitation” at that very same time, with extra anticipated later within the week, in line with the NWS.
“This wet weather pattern shows no signs of letting up, with another round of heavy precipitation possible Christmas day into Friday for much of California,” the NWS mentioned.
This story has been up to date.