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An atmospheric river storm was bearing down on the Bay Area and Central Coast on Thursday and is expected to last into Friday, bringing floods and thunderstorm hazards.
A flood watch has been put in place for the entire region from Thursday afternoon until Sunday morning. A wind advisory is in effect until Friday afternoon. Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency to support storm response in 21 counties, including San Mateo County.
According to the National Weather Service, the highest rainfall totals are expected in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Lucia Mountains. Rainfall and snowmelt will lead to rapid rises of area rivers, streams, and creeks. Rivers with the greatest flooding potential are Salinas, Pajaro, Carmel, Russian and Napa.
Most cities in the Bay Area have observed at least a tenth of an inch of rain in the last 24 hours, as of 4 p.m. Thursday. The North Bay has seen the most rainfall, with many cities observing more than half an inch of rain.
The city of San Jose was among the jurisdictions that are monitoring potential flooding and communicating with unhoused residents in affected areas. In San Jose, long-range acoustic devices and loudspeaker announcements will be used to communicate evacuation orders to unhoused residents along Guadalupe River, Coyote, and Penitencia creeks.
San Jose and the American Red Cross are opening a 24-hour emergency evacuation center at Seven Trees Community Center at 3590 Cas Drive and will be open for intake by 4 p.m. Thursday. No prior referral or reservation is needed.
The Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Lucia Mountains face increasing flooding concerns, with rain and flooding continuing into early next week.
Overnight shelters in Santa Cruz County include Watsonville Veterans Memorial Building at 215 E. Beach St., Watsonville, and Cabrillo College Gymnasium at 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos. Each shelter site will provide a place to sleep, food, supplies and support services.
