Live updates: Evacuations ordered, roads closed in California as flooding rain arrives

brian.lada
Updated

Heavy rain and mountain snow is spreading across California and will bring the risk of flooding, mudslides and travel delays into Friday.

Measurable rain is expected in the state's largest cities, including in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento.

Mandatory evacuations have already been issued for people living near the Holy Fire burn scar due to the potential for flooding and mudslides, while those in Malibu near the Woolsey Fire burn scar have been put on alert for potential evacuation.

"Donner Pass could be measuring snow in feet by Friday morning, and it's not out of the question that the pass would need to be shut down for a time Thursday into Thursday night, when the bulk of the snow is expected to fall there," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda.

Download the free AccuWeather app to know when the rain will begin and to stay up to date on the latest forecast.

11:15 a.m. PST Thursday:

Heavy rain that has sparked Flash Flood Warnings in burn scar areas is making its way to Orange County. Officials are advising people not to drive through flooded areas.

9:06 a.m. PST Thursday:

There is a Flash Flood Warning including Riverside County, California until 12:00 p.m. PST.

8:44 a.m. PST Thursday:

Officials are monitoring the heavy rain and have enacted multiple resources such as search and rescue teams and swift water response equipment in case of mudslides or flash floods.

7:58 a.m. PST Thursday:

Pepperdine University announced that it was canceling classes on Thursday due to the road conditions in the area.

A jackknifed tractor trailer caused all lanes to be closed on California State Route 118 within the last hour.

7:33 a.m. PST Thursday:

A mudslide was reported in Oakland along Highway 13 in Oakland. Another mudslide was reported on Interstate 5 northbound near Sacramento.

5:42 a.m. PST Thursday:

Motorists in both Southern and Northern California may face travel delays due to heavy rain moving into the state. A flood advisory has been issued for the areas near where the Hill and Woolsey fires burned. Rockslides are possible.

Showers moving into the Bay Area will cause a wet morning commute.

3:10 a.m. PST Thursday:

Commuters should double check their route before heading to work this morning as portions of many roads have been closed due to flooding, particularly in urban areas.

Power outages are affecting 30 percent of customers across Butte County in the Central Valley, which includes Paradise and the Camp Fire burn scar area.

1:00 a.m. PST Thursday:

Just across the Bay from San Francisco in Marin County, California, strong winds caused a large tree to fall onto a pickup truck. No injuries were reported.

Nearby to the north, flooding has been reported in Sonoma.

11: 45 p.m. PST Wednesday

While rain showers are just starting to move into the Los Angeles area, heavy rain has been inundating areas farther north for several hours.

In Santa Cruz County, debris flows have overtaken portions of roadways in Scotts Valley. Flooding in San Francisco and Daly City has flooded roads with as much as 2 feet of water.

In addition to the pounding rain, residents are also being kept awake by strong winds in the Bay Area. Winds gusts have frequently been reaching 45 mph.

Dozens of flights out of San Francisco area airports have been delayed, and delays are also starting to mount up at LAX.

5:30 p.m. PST Wednesday

California officials are monitoring the approaching rain and advise residents to be cautious.

Mandatory evacuations have been issued for areas near the Holy Fire burn scar, while those in Malibu near the Woolsey Fire burn scar have been warned that evacuations may be ordered due to the potential for flooding and mudslides.

6:00 a.m. PST Wednesday

The US Geological Surveymaps below depict the likelihood of debris-flow generation and estimates of flow magnitude in locations where debris flows initiate.

7:30 p.m. PST Tuesday:

Road closures have already begun in parts of California ahead of the major winter storm, including a stretch of Highway 1 near Big Sur. A 12-mile stretch of the road will be closed for at least two days between Mud Creek and Paul's Slide due to the potential for washouts and mudslides, according to the California Department of Transportation.

Heavy snow will also make travel through mountain passes in the Sierras, such as Donner Pass along Interstate 80.

While the unsettled weather will disrupt travel, it will help wildfire efforts across the state.

"This is good news to help minimize that fire activity," Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean said on Tuesday.