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Strong Pacific Storm Blamed for Two Deaths in Saturated California
A strong late-season Pacific storm brought damaging winds and more rain and snow to already saturated California. The system caused havoc in the state, including two deaths, while forecasters are predicting additional flooding in parts of the state in the coming days.
The Impact of the Storm
The storm pounded the San Francisco Bay Area with powerful gusts and downpours, while Sacramento was hit with intense hail. Southern California also broke rainfall records. The expansive system pushed inland across the Southwest, the Four Corners region, and the central and southern Rockies. Some residents of north-central Arizona were told to prepare for evacuations because of rising water levels in rivers and basins.
Extraordinary Weather Conditions
The wind and rain were caused by an extraordinary drop in barometric pressure over the eastern Pacific that meteorologists described as “explosive cyclogenisis.” “Even by the standards of what has turned out to be one of our most extraordinary winter seasons in a very long time, yesterday stands out,” the Bay Area weather office wrote.
Damages and Impact on Transportation
The storm caused trees and power lines to fall, windows to blow out of two San Francisco high-rises, along with disrupting ferry services because of rough conditions. Three barges got loose and damaged a bridge. An Amtrak commuter train carrying 55 passengers derailed near the East Bay village of Porta Costa when it struck a downed tree. In addition, a man died in the Bay Area community of Portola Valley driving a sewer truck when a tree fell onto the vehicle, and a driver was injured, and a passenger died in the community of Rossmoor after a large tree fell on a car, according to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
Record Rainfall
The storm broke records with 1.4 inches (3.5 centimeters) of rain that fell on downtown Los Angeles, breaking the March 21 record of 1.34 inches (3.40 centimeters) set in 1893. Some 121,000 customers were also without electricity throughout the state, according to PowerOutage.us.
California’s Extraordinary Winter Season
Since December, California has experienced 12 atmospheric rivers, unexpected extremely wet weather in a state that has been suffering from drought for years. February blizzards added to the state’s problems, causing flooding and submerging the mountains with so much snow that roofs collapsed and crews struggled to keep highways clear from avalanches. Like Mammoth Mountain, which has a season-to-date snowfall of 634 inches (16.1 meters) at its main lodge, remaining open for skiing and snowboarding till at least the end of July.
