Live updates: New storm brewing as Sacramento County flood rescues continue; Highway 99 reopens

The Sacramento area was starting to see signs of recovery Monday morning after an atmospheric river dumped heavy rain across Northern California over the weekend. But light afternoon rain and another impending strong storm later this week stand to jeopardize some of that progress.

A downpour of rain and strong winds on New Year’s Eve flooded roads, breached levees and even triggered evacuations across the region.

But by Monday morning, one of California’s major north-south thoroughfares, Highway 99, reopened and water levels began to retreat.

Still, more rain is expected to drop starting Monday afternoon and another intense storm system is forecast to barrel into Northern California on Wednesday.

Here are the latest updates on the storm.

Light rain starting Monday afternoon

A “quick-hitting” storm system is forecast to sweep through the Sacramento area beginning at 2 p.m. Monday afternoon, bringing light rain to the valley and light-to-moderate snow to the mountains throughout the evening.

This storm will be followed by a stronger round of rain and wind expected to arrive Wednesday morning and last into Thursday.

The Sacramento region could see up to 3 inches of rain late Wednesday and early Thursday, with wind gusts peaking to as much as 40 miles per hour or more, according to Scott Rowe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The rain will blow sideways, and strong winds could snap branches or topple trees, once again cutting off power in some areas. Flooding — especially near already stressed rivers and streams — is possible.

The New Year’s Eve storm that led to widespread power outages and flooding featured extreme wind gusts out of the north. With the upcoming storm, residents should prepare for winds out of the south, Rowe said.

“Trees don’t take as much wind speed to fall when the ground is saturated,” he said. “If there are trees just south of your house, you should be more concerned on a south-wind day.

“Like anything else, be prepared. Be extra mindful of where you are. Falling trees are definitely a serious thing.”

Woman rescued from flood

At about 6:30 a.m. Monday, crews with the Cosumnes Community Service District Fire Department rescued a woman from a vehicle that became stuck in the floodwaters in south Sacramento County’s Point Pleasant area.

The woman was driving down Twin Cities Road near Franklin Road when she could no longer move her vehicle through the high water on the road. Crews deployed a boat to rescue her. She walked away uninjured, according to Sacramento County spokesman Matt Robinson.

Point Pleasant residents remain under an evacuation order that was issued Sunday afternoon, urging them to flee from their homes and move livestock to higher ground. Franklin Road was, and remains, closed to drivers from Lambert Road to Twin Cities Road.

Officials are asking residents to be patient and avoid driving through any standing water.

“We encourage residents to be safe and don’t take any chances,” Robinson said.

Evacuation and shelter-in-place orders remain in place

An evacuation order for residents in Point Pleasant and a shelter-in-place order for those in Wilton remained in effect on Monday due to renewed concerns of flooding with the return of afternoon rainfall.

Rain was forecast to begin falling at 2 p.m. across the Sacramento area, according to the National Weather Service. Although floodwaters were receding early Monday in both south Sacramento County’s Wilton and Pleasant Point neighborhoods, officials worried that the water levels could rise again quickly and overwhelm roadways.

“Those places still have a lot of water,” Robinson said. “People need to remember, it floods quickly and recedes slowly.”

Sacramento County emergency officials issued the evacuation mandatory for Point Pleasant residents late Sunday afternoon advising them to leave before the sun went down, making it more difficult to see flooded areas.

For residents in Wilton, officials initially advised residents early Saturday afternoon to evacuate their homes due to rising water levels. But just two hours later, the county issued a shelter-in-place order for the area, saying that the floodwaters had made the roadways impassable and those who had not yet left, should stay home.

Sacramento County inmates evacuated

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday evacuated more than 1,000 inmates and staff members from the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center due to serious threats of flooding in the area, the agency announced Monday.

The evacuation process began at about 2 p.m. Sunday as weather conditions worsened and road conditions eroded near the correctional facility.

Rio Cosumnes is located just west of the Cosumnes River, which rapidly rose during and after the weekend storm system.

The Sheriff’s Office reported that all 1,075 inmates and staff members were taken to nearby correctional facilities. It is unclear when the department plans to bring them back to the facility, especially given the risk of repeat flooding this week as the rain returns to Northern California.

Highway 99 and Dillard Road reopen

Two south Sacramento County Roadways — Highway 99 and Dillard Road — were reopened early Monday morning after rising water from the Cosumnes River made them both impassable over the weekend.

Highway 99 was closed early Sunday after the river flooded the road and stranded dozens of vehicles on one of California’s major north-south thoroughfares.

South of Elk Grove, Dillard Road had also been inundated after floodwater pushed the river past its brink and a second levee was breached in the Wilton area. Crews with Cosumnes Community Service District Fire Department found a person dead inside a submerged vehicle around 10:30 a.m. Sunday along Dillard Road, near Highway 99.

After advising motorists to avoid Highway 99 and Dillard Road for the past 24 hours, California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Leavitt said Monday morning that both were once again safe to travel on.

As rain returns Monday afternoon, Leavitt said his agency, as well as Caltrans and county officials, would be monitoring the condition of the roadways and provide updates if any new closures would be necessary.

“For now, we’re okay, but it all depends on how much it’s going to rain,” he said.

Crews are still working to clear downed trees and debris from the sides of the roads, as well as tow vehicles that were abandoned or swept away during the intense wind and rain storm that hit the region early Saturday, according to Leavitt.

“Don’t be shocked if you see a tree or car on the side of the road,” Leavitt said. “Crews are still out there working on things but it’s going to take some time.”

Reporter Ryan Lillis contributed to this report.

This story was originally published January 2, 2023 at 10:07 AM.