Record rain on New Year's Eve caused flooding in Northern California.
A channel of water vapor that can carry as much water as a river is expected to inundate the area on Wednesday and Thursday. It will be similar in strength to the New Years Eve storm.
Since the soil is already saturated from the recent storm, it may not be able to absorb as much water. Even worse flooding is possible.
The recent storm left people stranded, vehicles submerged and abandoned, highways closed, and triggered mud slides. Two people are dead in the floods. Some areas are still flooded, and rescue efforts are still going on.
San Francisco was close to its record on Saturday, while Oakland was just shy of it. Significant flooding can be seen in the footage from John Shrable.
—John Shrable (@JohnShrable) January 1, 2023
The Oakland Zoo was closed on Sunday after a culvert collapsed and created a hole.
—Oakland Zoo (@oakzoo) January 1, 2023
After the rain stopped, floods continued to cause trouble.
As global temperatures rise, atmospheric rivers can dump more precipitation. Scientists warn that that increases the risk of flooding in the future.
The main thoroughfare through the Central Valley, Highway 99, was flooded as a result of levee breeches in the Sacramento Valley.
Rescue efforts are still going on. A person was found dead in a submerged car on Sunday. The person died after being pulled from the water.
A boat was used by the fire dept to rescue people from a temporary island created by the flooding.
—Cosumnes Fire Dept. (@CosumnesFire) December 31, 2022
A helicopter was used to rescue a person who was stuck against a tree.
—Metro Fire of Sacramento (@metrofirepio) January 1, 2023
Rintaro, a San Francisco restaurant, shared a video of its facilities overwhelmed with standing water on their social media pages.
A post shared by Sylvan Mishima Brackett (@mr_rintaro)
A San Francisco resident shared a video of a mudslide in the city on Saturday.
—Zach Klein (@zachklein) December 31, 2022
There is more footage showing muddy flooding on a street.
—Zach Klein (@zachklein) December 31, 2022
Some drivers were stranded and major roads were closed after the atmospheric river dumped snow on the roadway.
Huge boulders were rolling on Highway 50 during the storm. The department said it would have to blow them up.
—Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) January 1, 2023
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