Napa County Readies For 'Severe Winter Weather'; Where To Get Sandbags

NAPA COUNTY, CA — The Napa County Office of Emergency Services is prepared for severe winter weather to hit Napa County starting early Wednesday morning.

Napa County and much of the Bay Area remained under a flood watch expected to take effect at 4 a.m. Wednesday and continue through 5 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. A high wind warning also takes effect at 4 a.m. Wednesday and continues through 10 a.m. Thursday, the weather service said.

Heavy rains and high winds may cause flooding and power outages; residents were encouraged to exercise caution when driving and to keep their homes and businesses protected by sandbags.

According to the weather service, damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.

Saturated soils will allow for trees to topple more easily during this prolonged wind event, forecasters said. The strongest winds will be during the cold frontal passage late Wednesday afternoon through early Thursday morning.

Napa County residents can keep up to date on sandbag stations by visiting Zonehaven or countyofnapa.org:

• American Canyon & Milton Road Sandbags
• City of Napa Sandbags
• Wooden Valley & Circle Oaks Sandbags
• Yountville Sandbags
• Dry Creek & Lokoya Sandbags
• St Helena Sandbags
• Angwin Sandbags
• Calistoga Sandbags

Atmospheric River May Result In Loss Of Human Life, Forecasters Say

The entire Bay Area will be under a flood watch beginning Wednesday morning due to a heavy storm system expected to be as bad or worse than Saturday's deluge and which will likely result in the loss of human life, according to a dire forecast update from the National Weather Service.

The update issued Monday afternoon included five key points, with the first one noting a "threat to life likely during this storm." Mudslides are anticipated due to saturated soil, and rapidly rising creeks and streams will pose additional dangers.

A meteorologist shared the following observations in the forecast about the coming storm: "To put it simply, this will likely be one of the most impactful systems on a widespread scale that this meteorologist has seen in a long while. The impacts will include widespread flooding, roads washing out, hillside collapsing, trees down (potentially full groves), widespread power outages, immediate disruption to commerce, and worst of all, likely loss of human life. This is truly a brutal system that we are looking at and needs to be taken seriously."

The forecast includes an updated threat matrix it classifies as "extreme risk" for conditions expected Wednesday and Thursday, including increased wind gusts, a flood watch that now includes the entire Bay Area and an added forecast Friday through Sunday after the big storm for roughly 1-2 inches of rain in most areas.

Wednesday through Thursday morning will be the worst of the storm, with heavy rain and strong winds with gusts of 35-55 mph in most areas, with stronger gusts at higher elevations.

The flood watch will be in effect from Wednesday morning through Thursday afternoon, with rain amounts expected from 2-4 inches in the valleys, 3-6 inches in the foothills and 8-10 inches in the coastal mountains.

Tuesday was expected to have little to no rain for the region and represents the last opportunity to clean up from Saturday's storm before the next one hits, forecasters said.

For the latest forecast updates, visit Weather.gov/bayarea and AccuWeather.

Here's What The National Weather Service Says You Need To Know

• Make sure you're signed up for your county's emergency alerts and/or reverse 9-1-1 calls. Heed any evacuation orders, especially if you live near an area that is prone to flooding or mudslides.
• Have a "go bag" ready in case you need to evacuate quickly (go to ready.gov/plan or ready.gov/kit if you're not sure what to pack).
• Find your insurance policies and other important documents. Take photos of rooms in your home so that you can easily reference items in case of damage.
• Prepare for power outages or road closures that could last several days. Get extra non-perishable food and have drinking water ready at home in case you`re unable to leave home.
• Gas up your vehicles and charge up all your devices.
• Plan ahead for the elderly or others with special needs, such as necessary medications or other services.
• Don't forget about your pets/livestock to ensure their safety.
• Remember that impacts can be ongoing even after the heaviest rain is over. Mudslides can sometimes occur several days or even weeks after heavy rain events. Flooded waterways may take days to recede.

The National Weather Service said this wet pattern will continue to bring waves of moderate rain into the second week of January which means soils could stay saturated for quite some time, allowing slides, downed trees and other impacts to persist.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.