'Bomb Cyclone' Causes San Francisco Closures, Flight Cancellations

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — As conditions in the San Francisco Bay Area continued to deteriorate while a bomb cyclone pummeled the region Wednesday with rain and high winds, numerous closures, flight cancellations and a even disruption of the city's famed cable cars services were reported.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency took to Twitter to announce the suspension of service Wednesday through Thursday evening, with buses handling its service instead.

"Starting this afternoon, all Cable Car service will also be provided by buses through the end of service tomorrow," SFMTA tweeted.

SMFTA warned of delays and advised against travel throughout the length of the storm.

"Please allow extra travel time or stay home if you can," SFMTA tweeted. "Flooding or downed trees may cause reroutes & delays."

BART May See Disruptions

BART announced earlier Wednesday that downtown San Francisco stations could face entrance closures, as there have been issues with flooding in the past, though staff and equipment were at the ready, BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said.

BART is running trains at slower speeds during the storm, and riders should expect delays of up to 20 minutes.

Flights Canceled

Meanwhile, at San Francisco International Airport, 74 flights were canceled as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, with more cancellations likely as weather conditions worsen.

"We might see more as the day progresses given the fact that the things causing the cancellations, the rain and low visibility that's come with the rain and the strong winds coming out of an unusual directions and it's those two factors that you can expect to continue throughout the day," SFO Public Information Officer Doug Yakel said. "Delays and cancellations may continue into the night.

Yakel said travelers should sign up for their airline's flight alerts to get notified about delays or cancellations before they travel to the airport.

"This will send an update right to your phone if your flight gets a delay or cancellation," he said. "You always want to find out about that before you show up at the airport."

Yakel said travelers should allow extra time to arrive at the airport.

"It's going to take a little longer to travel on the roadways to get to the airport today," he said.

Sandbags Replenished

At San Francisco Public Works, sandbags have been replenished after the city announced it had run out of sandbags earlier Wednesday.

"We now have sandbags available for pickup at our Operations Yard," the city said. "Come to gate at Marin & Kansas streets."

There is a limit of five sandbags per address for San Francisco residents and businesses, the city said, adding it would stay open till 8 p.m. unless it runs out before then.

Closures

Closures included one at the San Francisco Zoo, which shut down at 2 p.m. Wednesday; East Bay SPCA shelters in Oakland and Dublin which closed at 3 p.m. and numerous Bay Area restaurants.

The San Francisco Bay Ferry suspended service to two routes affecting Alameda and Oakland on Wednesday due to the storm forecast, the agency said Tuesday.

The Harbor Bay and South San Francisco routes were not sailing in either direction.

Thousands Without Power

Thousands of Bay Area PG&E customers were without power Wednesday afternoon as rain and high winds continued to hit the region.

As of 1 p.m., 8,295 customers in the South Bay area had lost power, along with 1,169 in the East Bay, 845 customers on the Peninsula, 704 in the North Bay, and 207 in San Francisco, Bay City News Service reported.

Pop-Up Shelter Opens

The San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing has opened a pop-up shelter at the San Francisco County Fair Building, 1199 9th Avenue in response to the ongoing storm. Walk-ups are welcome, the city said. For more information, visit its website here.

Mayor London Breed will provide a storm update which can be viewed online here starting at 5:15 p.m.

Also Read:

• Oakland, Alameda Ferry Routes Suspended For Wednesday Due To Storm
• East Bay Regional Parks Announces Closure Of Parks Due To Storm
• Bomb-Cyclone To Unleash Flooding, Mudslides And Snow Storms Across CA

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.