Evacuation Warnings Issued For Parts Of San Mateo County

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — Evacuation warnings were issued by Cal Fire on Saturday afternoon for parts of the CZU Lightning Complex burn area in San Mateo County as heavy wind and rain is expected to hit the region on Sunday.

The following areas, near the Santa Cruz County line, were asked by county officials to prepare to evacuate:

• South Coast Zone SMC-E019, which includes Año Nuevo State Park, Whitehouse Canyon Road and areas south of Gazos Creek Road east of Highway 1.
• South Coast Zone SMC-E038, which includes Butano State Park and the community of Barranca Knolls, west of Cloverdale Road.
• The communities of Loma Mar and Dearborn Park in Zone SMC-E018.
• The Community of Butano Canyon in Zone SMC-E098

The warnings will be upgraded to evacuation orders on Sunday at 8 a.m., officials said. They urged residents in the area to “not wait to evacuate,” as downed trees, tree branches and mudslides could affect evacuations.

Steady rain on Sunday morning will become heavy later in the day, according to the National Weather Service. The heavy rainfall may lead to flash flooding and debris flow, along with the threat of urban and small stream flooding throughout the region, according to forecasts.

Rainfall could meet the thresholds for debris flow in the area of the CZU Lightning Complex fires that scorched 85,500 acres, destroyed nearly 1,500 buildings and killed one person just over a year ago. Debris flow is a risk in sloped areas following a large wildfire and can cause more injuries than the wildfire itself, according to the county.

Related: Flash Flood Watch Issued For Peninsula On Sunday

A flash flood watch was issued for Sunday afternoon through Sunday evening for much of the Bay Area, including along the Peninsula coast and Santa Cruz mountain region.

Half Moon Bay High School at 1 Lewis Foster Drive in Half Moon Bay will open at 8 a.m. Sunday as a temporary evacuation point.

Visit community.zonehaven.com for a live map of evacuation warnings and orders.