Heavy rain causes power outages, flooding in Stockton. Weaker storms on way

Storms that caused flooding and power outages on Saturday will continue next week. Here's what the weather will do and what to know if you're traveling, or if your home is damaged.

The National Weather Service reported heavy rain and gusty southerly winds throughout Saturday.

In the Stockton area, up to one inch of rain will fall, with the strongest winds reaching 40 mph on Saturday. Temperatures will reach the mid-to upper 50s during the day and low 50s during the night.

Rain and wind will calm Sunday night as weaker storms arrive.

Storms will continue off and on through Wednesday with clearer skies on Tuesday.

Storms knock out power

Stockton and San Joaquin County residents reported power outages, according to Pacific Gas & Electric utility. As of Saturday morning, 583 customers were without power in the area.

PG&E crews are working on restoring the power back to customers, PG&E said.

“A strong system will impact the PG&E service territory today with gusty south winds, moderate to locally heavy rain and a better chance of thunderstorms, both along and behind the front,” said Karly Hernandez, a PG&E spokesperson, via email on Saturday morning.

PG&E has mobilized emergency crews and equipment in preparation for this event. They are working as safely and quickly as they can to respond to areas affected that are “outside of flood areas," PG&E said.

For more information on PG&E power outages or to report one, visit bit.ly/3VLaIdz. Customers can also sign up for outage notifications at bit.ly/3VMU6SL.

Traveling conditions and closures

As crews work to clear drains, culverts and debris from roadways, the California Department of Transportation suggests avoiding any areas “prone to flooding” or those with “mountain passes due to snow.”

“Stormy conditions are creating problem areas for motorists in the Stockton downtown area, throughout the northern San Joaquin Valley and in the mountain areas of Northern and Central California,” Anthony Presto, chief spokesperson for Caltrans District 10 said via email Saturday morning. “Caltrans strongly recommends to avoid all travel unless absolutely necessary."

The Carson Pass and Carson Spur on State Route 88 are closed affected by low to no visibility due to heavy snowfall, Caltrans District 10 said.

“Downtown Stockton highway connectors from State Route 4 to I-5 and State Route 4 to State Route 99 are experiencing areas of flooding,” Presto said. “(At this time) mud is present at the Westbound SR 4 to Southbound I-5 connector ramp.”

If you must travel, Caltrans recommends visiting QuickMap for real-time traffic information or call 1-800-427-ROAD before you go.

County Storm Updates

If you have been sandbagging your home, you are probably already also signed up for the emergency notification alerts but if you are not. You will find information on both on the SJReady website.

As storms continue through the weekend. The county recommends signing up for emergency notification alerts to receive the most updated storm information on the SJReady website. There you will also find links to other tips on how to fill sandbags and how to protect your home when living near a levee.

The National Weather Service said the storm that hit Saturday morning is the first of three systems that are moving through the area throughout the weekend and into Wednesday.

"The storm we are in now (Saturday) is anticipated to be the worst, with rain and wind gusts" that reached up to 40 mph, Hilary Crowley, a spokesperson for San Joaquin County said. “The second storm will roll in tomorrow and not be as severe ― followed by a third possible system on Wednesday, Jan. 18.”

What to do if you have property damage from the storm

If heavy rain, high winds or flooding have damaged your property, here is how you can report it.

The city of Stockton urged residents via Twitter to avoid traveling South of Hammer Lane between West Lane and Holman Road on Saturday afternoon due to power outages and street flooding.

San Joaquin County is asking county residents and business owners to fill out a short survey if they have experienced storm-related damage to their property. This will help the effort for support in federal assistance.

To report property damage visit bit.ly/3ixSlvm click on the orange “Report Damage” button and fill in the survey.

“If a resident runs a business out of their residence, and both the home and the business sustained damages, then two separate reports can be made,” the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Service said in a statement Thursday. “Survey responses will assist OES in determining the extent and location of storm damage so that OES can accurately report to State and Federal emergency response agencies and better direct recovery efforts toward assisting impacted residents and businesses.”

The survey will not guarantee federal recovery assistance therefore property damage should also be reported to your insurance.

For more information visit: bit.ly/3ZNMDGq

Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Heavy rain causes outages, flooding in Stockton. Weaker storms on way