By GODOFREDO A. VÁSQUEZ, JANIE HAR and CHRISTOPHER WEBER, Associated Press
FORESTVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A major storm moved through Northern California on Friday, dumping heavy snow and record rainfall that killed two people, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands, closed some roads and Causing evacuation.
Forecasters warned that the risk of flash flooding and landslides would continue, and dozens of flights were canceled at San Francisco Airport.
In Washington state, more than 185,000 people, mostly in the Seattle area, remained without power and crews were clearing streets of power lines, downed branches and debris. Utility officials said outages that began Tuesday could continue into Saturday. In addition to the gusty winds, the National Weather Service warned that a high surf warning was issued on Friday, saying waves as high as 20 to 24 feet (6 to 7.3 meters) could cause severe beach erosion.
Meanwhile, on the East Coast where rare wildfires are raging, New York and New Jersey are getting much-needed rain that could ease fire danger for the rest of the year.
The National Weather Service extended a flood watch north of San Francisco until Saturday as the area was inundated by the strongest atmospheric river of the season — long stretches of moisture that form over the ocean and flow over land.
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Flooding and road closures were reported in the North Bay, and the weather service warned area residents to expect disruption to their morning and afternoon commutes on Friday. The weather service said earlier Friday that rainfall had increased and moved south along the San Francisco Peninsula into the Santa Cruz Mountains, with gauges now reporting a few tenths to 1 to 2 inches of rain.
In Humboldt County, the Sheriff's Office issued evacuation orders and warnings and urged residents to prepare for the storm's impact throughout the week. Flooding has closed Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, in Mendocino County north of Point Arena and near the Garcia River, and it's unclear what's going on, according to the California Department of Transportation When will it reopen.
The system roared ashore Tuesday as a “bomb cyclone,” which occurs when a cyclone rapidly intensifies. At least two people were killed in Washington state as the hurricane's high winds toppled trees and smashed onto roads, vehicles and homes.
Communities in Washington have opened warming centers offering free internet and device charging. Some medical clinics were closed due to power outages.
“I've been here since the mid-1980s. I've never seen anything like this,” Issaquah City Administrator Trish Bloor said as she surveyed the damaged home.
Up to 16 inches of rain is expected to fall through Friday in southwestern Oregon and northern California counties.
Santa Rosa received 6.5 inches of rain in the past 24 hours, its wettest day on record since 1998.
The Sonoma County Airport in wine country north of San Francisco received more than 11 inches (28 centimeters) of rain in the past 48 hours, while the unincorporated town of Venado received about 12.7 inches (32.3 centimeters) during the same period.
Officials warn that flash flooding, landslides and mudslides are possible, especially where recent wildfires have loosened hillsides. So far, the ground in areas burned by the Park Fire this summer has been able to absorb rainwater, said Scott Rowe, a hydrologist with the Weather Service in Sacramento.
“It's not necessarily how much it rains; it's how fast it rains that matters.” “It's how fast it rains,” Luo said.
A winter storm watch has been activated for areas above 3,500 feet (1,070 meters) in the northern Sierra Nevada, where up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) of snow could fall over two days. Forecasters said wind gusts in the mountains could reach 75 mph.
More than 12,000 power outages were reported in California.
Authorities restricted vehicle traffic on a portion of northbound Interstate 5 between Redding and Yreka due to the snow, according to the California Department of Transportation. Officials also closed a 2-mile section of the scenic Avenue of the Giants, named for its towering coast redwoods, because of flooding.
Early Friday, more than 40 flights were delayed and about a dozen canceled at San Francisco International Airport, according to tracking service FlightAware.
Meanwhile, the Northeast received much-needed rainfall, bringing some respite to areas hit by wildfires and dwindling water supplies. More than 2 inches of snow are expected to fall north of New York City by Saturday morning, with mixed snow expected in higher elevations.
New York City Weather Service meteorologist Brian Ciemnecki, who issued the first drought warning in 22 years this week, said “any rainfall would be severe” but that the storm would not be enough to end the drought.
Hal reported from San Francisco and Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Hallie Golden and Gene Johnson in Seattle; Martha Bellisle in Issaquah, Wash.; Sarah Brumfield in Washington, D.C. ; Michael Hill in Albany, New York, also contributed.
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