Santa Cruz Co. Storm Latest: Power Outages, Road Closures

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — A thunderstorm was still possible Monday morning in Santa Cruz County as residents countywide remained affected by a record-breaking storm that continued to tear through California.

Evacuation orders lifted around 8:35 a.m. for people living in the area of the CZU fire burn scar, according to the county.

More than 4,400 Pacific Gas & Electric Co. customers — most of whom lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains — remained in the dark as of 8:30 a.m.

Eight emergency road closures were in place after heavy winds topped trees and power lines from the mountains to Watsonville.

A high surf warning along the Santa Cruz County coastline kicked in at 11 p.m. Sunday and was expected to last through 11 a.m. Tuesday. Breaking waves of 20 to 30 feet or higher were possible in some areas, according to the National Weather Service.

The high surf warning brought an increased likelihood of sneaker waves and rip currents. People should keep an eye on children and pets, stay off of coastal jetties and never turn their backs to the ocean.

A thunderstorm could strike before 11 a.m., according to the weather service.

It's "been a memorable past 24 hours for the Bay Area as the long-talked-about atmospheric river rolled through the region," the weather service said before dawn Monday. "We literally have gone from fire/drought conditions to flooding in one storm cycle."

San Francisco saw its wettest October day ever and its fourth-wettest day overall since the Gold Rush, according to the weather service.

The storm was dubbed both an atmospheric river and bomb cyclone.

Atmospheric rivers are "relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere — like rivers in the sky," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A bomb cyclone occurs when a storm experiences bombogenesis, meaning it rapidly intensifies over a 24-hour period, according to NOAA.

The effects of the storm were so great that the Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit logged 124 incidents across both counties over the past 24-hour period, the agency said at 8:40 a.m. Monday. That's up from the typical average of 25 to 30.

The weather service anticipated a wet commute and reminded the public to grab an umbrella and be wary of ponding on roads. Turn around when in doubt, officials said.

See more: 14 Images Of California's Powerful Storm: Flooding, Debris & More

A reminder that ⚠️High Surf Warning ⚠️ is in effect from now through 11Am Tuesday as a large, long period swell continues to be generated from this storm system as it passes.

As always, Never Turn Your Back To The Ocean! #CaWx #AtmosphericRiver https://t.co/JbmSq5EbOH pic.twitter.com/RdyYzgXh8S
— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) October 25, 2021