Storm Update: 5 million Californians remain under flood watch; death toll at 17

Californians are bracing for another atmospheric river in the succession of storms that have pummeled the state since New Year’s Eve, destroying homes, flooding cities and killing at least 17 people.

On Wednesday, San Joaquin Valley residents navigated flooded roads by boat, including flooded streets near an apartment complex in the city of Merced.

“To me it’s kind of simple, because I am an old vet, so I have been doing this stuff all of my life,” said Michael Harrington, 68, who used a kayak to reach a Wal Mart in Merced. “It doesn’t bother me, it’s just cold. But I can imagine people who are worse off than I am having a hard time.”

Along the Central Coast, residents mourned a 5-year-old boy who was swept away by floodwaters on Monday. The child, Kyle Doan of San Miguel, is the son of special needs teacher in the San Miguel Joint Union School District.

“San Miguel is a small, very close-knit community and everyone has the family in their thoughts and prayers during this unfathomable tragedy,” said Karen Grandoli, the district’s superintendent. .

And in Sacramento County, more than 3,000 households remain without power four days after the powerful New Year’s Eve storm swept through the region. More than half an inch of rain and 30 mph winds were expected to hit the capital region Wednesday night.

About 5 million Californians are under a flood watch and experts say there is no sign of a reprieve until Jan. 20, which means more wet days ahead.

“We’re not out of the woods. We expect these storms to continue at least through the middle of next week with a minimum of three more atmospheric rivers hitting our state,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday during a visit to storm damage in Santa Cruz County. “California is soaked and even an inch more of rain can bring catastrophic impacts like flooding and mudslides. These conditions are serious and they’re deadly and we want all Californians to be mindful and follow all guidance from local emergency responders.”

The heavy rain and snow is easing the state’s drought. The National Weather Service on Wednesday reported that the state snowpack far exceeds historic averages. It’s at “226% of average for this date,” the weather service wrote on Twitter.

Death toll rises to at least 17

At least 17 people have died as the storms continue to batter communities across the state.

Highways have been especially treacherous.

An Elk Grove man died Jan. 7 in a rollover crash on his way to help clean up storm debris after heavy rain fell in Mendocino County, about 140 miles northwest of San Francisco. The utility worker, Edgar Castillo, lost control of the vehicle and went down a dirt embankment. Castillo was killed at the scene, and his passenger Jose Hernandez was injured.

Two drivers, including one on a motorocyle, were killed on Tuesday in a series of crashes on Highway 99 in Visalia after lightning struck a eucalyptus tree bringing it crashing down on the highway.

That same highway flooded in southern Sacramento County on New Year’s Eve. The bodies of three people, Steven Sampson, 45, of McAlester, Oklahoma; Mei Keng Lam, 57 of San Leandro; and Katherine Martinez, 61, of Orland, were found just south of Elk Grove.

Sampson’s body was found on New Year’s Day in a vehicle near Dillard Road and Highway 99, authorities said.

Lam was found near Dillard Road four days later, also near Dillard Road but not in a vehicle. Martinez was located inside a submerged vehicle in Galt.

At least two homeless people died in Sacramento County during the weekend storm. Rebekah Rohde, 40, died Saturday along the American River Parkway and Steven Sorensen, 61, died Sunday in North Highlands. Both died after trees were found atop their tents, authorities said.

Northern California: Sacramento evacuations lifted

While additional storms are headed to Northern California, flood warnings in the capital region have eased.

Evacuations were lifted in Wilton but Sacramento County emergency officials warned evacuated residents returning to Wilton that power may still be out for many. More than 900 homes and businesses were still without power in the Wilton area.

Sacramento Municipal Utility District reported about 3,300 homes and businesses in the Sacramento area are still without power as of Wednesday night – a substantial total, but down from roughly 30,000 on Monday afternoon, after nearly 350,000 people lost power in a stronger storm this past weekend.

Between about 450 and 550 lightning strikes were recorded between Sacramento County and San Joaquin County, weather service meteorologist Katrina Hand said.

State of Emergency in the Central Valley

Fresno County Emergency Services proclaimed a State of Emergency on Monday night, saying the storm impacted county roads, and caused flooding and hazards threatening public safety and property.

TV stations were knocked off air early Monday morning by power outages.

Floodwaters rose from Merced’s Bear Creek with surprising speed on Monday. The creek, which started at 10 feet, climbed to a record of 26.2 feet in one day, breaching the banks and flooding the small town. The waters began to recede slowly on Wednesday.

Flooding also prompted the Merced County Sheriff’s Office to issue an evacuation order for the entire community of Planada, a city of 4,000.

Mike Jensen, a spokesperson for the Merced Irrigation District, said Miles Creek has been prone to flooding for years as it flows out of the Sierra foothills across the Valley floor.

“We’re looking at this unprecedented series of storms, and we have ground that’s already saturated,” Jensen said.

He added that the creek not only spilled over its banks into Planada but also overflowed into one of the irrigation district’s canals, helping to funnel some of the water away.

“There’s just too much water,” he said.

On its Facebook page, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office stated that the steady rain had resulted in some mandatory evacuations due to dangers from flooding, as well as mudslides, downed trees and flooded roadways across the county. Amid the havoc, “the extreme weather has strained our local resources,” requiring the emergency declaration “to maintain our standard level of public protection to the county,” the Facebook post stated.

The Central Valley could see more than an inch of rain over the weekend as the storms won’t show the state mercy for a few more days.

Luz Almanza, 25, was among those evacuated Tuesday afternoon from apartments off of Willowbrook Drive in Merced.

A UC Merced graduate, Almanza said most of the car in her neighborhood were completely submerged during the day Tuesday.

She and others decided to leave after seeing first responders arrive in rafts. “We decided to go because next time there is going to be more rain and it’s probably going to get worse,” Almanza said.

This story was originally published January 11, 2023 at 6:51 PM.