Evacuation orders are in effect in parts of San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, warning of an “immediate threat to life”.
The orders come amid forecasts that parts of the bay area and the Santa Cruz and Santa Lucia mountains could receive up to 25 centimeters of rain by the end of Thursday. A strong wind alert is also in effect in the bay area during Wednesday afternoon. Across the state, more than 8 million people are under flood warnings, with a combination of torrential rain and snow in historic mountains reaching the region.
Santa Cruz County sheriff’s delegates went door to door earlier this week warning residents to leave the area before the storms, according to CNN affiliate KSBW.
“Please be safe and obey evacuation orders,” asked the sheriff’s office on Tuesday,
Twitter.
Potential for dangerous mudslides
But it is not just the strong winds and heavy rains that concern the authorities. Significant burn scars remain from the devastating 2020 forest fire season, which means that there is potential for landslides. In Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, the CZU August Lightning Complex burned more than 85,000 acres in the fall.
When forest fires consume the land, they destroy vegetation that would otherwise absorb water and keep soil and debris in place. After millions of hectares were burned across the state last year, that land is now at greater risk of floods and landslides.
And landslides can be extremely dangerous. On average, they kill between 25 and 50 people in the United States each year, according to the United States Geological Survey. Most fatalities result from “rock falls, debris flows or volcanic debris flows”, according to the USGS.
In January 2018, at least 20 people lost their lives, dozens of houses were destroyed and hundreds more were damaged in the wake of the landslides that devastated Montecito.
Resident Tina Button told KSBW that her family bought a trailer specifically for situations like this.
“If we need to leave, we have a place to stay that we don’t have to pay or worry about finding,” said Button. “Before, when we evacuated to the fires, we didn’t know where we were going.”
Heavy snow is also expected
Meanwhile, parts of the high Sierra can see up to 5 feet of snow this week, with some areas possibly seeing as much as 2 meters of snow by Friday.
Caltrans, the state’s transportation agency, said they are expecting “blizzard and darkening conditions” in parts of the Sierra.
“We cannot emphasize it enough – IF YOU DID NOT ARRIVE AT YOUR DESTINATION BEFORE SUNSET, TRAVEL TO THE SIERRA IS NOT ADVISED,” wrote Caltrans in
Twitter Tuesday. “There is heavy snow and whiteout conditions are expected. Make smart travel choices.”
In Butte County, authorities said it had started to snow and warned residents to “take all precautions” when driving.
“Remember to slow down, observe road hazards, such as fallen trees, power lines and other hazards,” Butte County Sheriff’s Office
said.
Joe Sutton and Sarah Moon of CNN contributed to this report.
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