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Record Bay Area Storm: The Aftermath

By Anne Kennedy
Published on: 03:36 PST, Dec 12, 2014

The worst Bay Area storm in five years has uprooted trees, downed power lines, and flooded roads. Though the storm has left the Bay Area for Southern California, its effects are far from over. As of this morning, the Russian River is expected to flood. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, a flood warning is in effect along the 110-mile-long river, which winds its way through several small communities west of Highway 101 in Sonoma County as it makes its way toward the Pacific.

Weather service forecaster Drew Peterson told the Chronicle that the river is expected to run above its 32-foot flood stage and peak at about 35.5 feet by mid-day Friday. Flooding is expected to continue through Saturday.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see flooding at different points along the river.”

The Navarro River is also flooding, and levels could ultimately reach 30 feet. Flash flood warnings have been issued for Marin, Sonoma, and Napa counties.

The northern end of the Bay Area isn’t the only part of the region to suffer damage during the storm. A Safeway supermarket roof collapsed in San Jose; luckily, just one person suffered minor injuries.

Power outages are ongoing throughout the Bay Area, with over 500 customers in the Sebastopol area reporting that they’re without electricity. Scattered blackouts continue throughout the North portion of the Bay Area, and customers as far south as Los Gatos are still in the dark. A number of Bay Area schools remain closed during the aftermath of the storm.

While Bay Area residents are coping with the Thursday storm aftermath, they’re also trying to get back to normal life. But flooded roads have slowed normally busy commutes to a near standstill, and more than 100,000 were without power.

Many are already appreciating the water the storm brought to the Bay Area. San Francisco’s ABC7 interviewed people who were out and about shortly after the howling winds and pounding rain subsided. Tiburon resident Anika Winter was just one who was enjoying a walk.

“It’s much more beautiful than it was before because it’s greener. Yeah, it’s fun to enjoy how the landscape changes.”

Diana Henderson, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, says today’s showers will be minor, and that Saturday “will be a beautiful day to clean everything up.”

The weather service has reported that for the 24-hour period ending 5 a.m. Friday, San Francisco recorded 3.41 inches of rain, San Rafael recorded 4.3 inches, San Jose totals came in at 3.39 inches, and Portola Valley received the most moisture from the storm, recording 6.14 inches of rainfall. The Bay Area storm, which has killed two, has moved into southern California.

[Image courtesy of NBC Bay Area]

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