More Storms Stalk Walnut Creek, Contra Costa

WALNUT CREEK, CA — After a brief pause, a relentless parade of atmospheric river-fueled storms is expected to bring another impactful storm starting this weekend to Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County and the Bay Area.

A National Weather Service advisory said the new series of storms is likely to bring more staggering precipitation numbers to a region that is already soaked. The weather service issued a flood watch that takes effect at 4 p.m. Saturday and continues through 4 p.m. Tuesday for the greater Bay Area, including the East Bay hills and East Bay interior valleys.

The next wave of storms is estimated to continue through Jan. 19, according to the NWS. Walnut Creek is expected to see rain for 10 straight days starting Saturday.

Following a few rain showers Friday night, a stronger storm system will bring heavier rain to the Bay Area and Central Coast early Saturday morning through Sunday. Rainfall totals over the weekend will generally be widespread 1-2 inch rainfall totals in the lower elevations with 2-4 inches in the North Bay and coastal mountains while the wettest peaks of the North Bay, could see up to 6 inches of rain, the weather service said.

A more potent atmospheric river will bring heavy rain early Monday through Tuesday. Rainfall totals early next week will generally be widespread 2-4 inch rainfall totals in the lower elevations with 3-6 inches in the North Bay and coastal mountains while the wettest peaks of the North Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains, and Santa Lucia Mountains, could see up to 10 inches of rain.

"Given the saturated soils and recent rains we can expect rapid responses on all streams and
creeks with quick rises on the mainstem rivers, resulting in widespread flooding," the weather service said. "Mainstem flooding is most likely Monday and Tuesday. This system will result in an increased risk of mudslides and debris flows across the region."

The new series of storms follows an atmospheric river-fueled “bomb cyclone” earlier this week that killed at least two people including a toddler and caused widespread flooding and property damage throughout the Bay Area. Winds associated with the storm topped out at 85 mph in Marin County.

The weather pattern is likely to persist beyond the seven-day projection for an additional seven-day period in which "several more impactful atmospheric river events are expected," the NWS bulletin said.

Wind Advisory

The wind advisory is from 10 a.m. Saturday until 1 p.m. Sunday and encompasses the East Bay hills. South winds 15 to 25 mph are forecast with gusts up to 50 mph expected. Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result, the weather service said.

Due to very saturated soils, even winds on the lower end of the speed range can cause downed trees. When trees fall, this can be a threat to lives, cause power outages, and add debris to waterways which can exacerbate flooding.

Walnut Creek Continues Recovery Efforts

The following news release was issued Friday by the City of Walnut Creek:

Walnut Creek Public Works crews have been working steadily since the beginning of the storm surge on New Year’s Eve, and those efforts paid off with relatively few major incidents at City facilities, in our parks and open space, and on our streets. Unfortunately, there have been some homes on private property impacted with flooding due to the magnitude of the storm. While Public Works responded to more than two dozen storm-related incidents on Wednesday, nearly all of them were resolved by the end of the evening. Additional Police Department dispatchers were brought in to handle the expected increased call volume. The concern now turns to impacts the saturated ground will have with trees potentially falling.

“While we know the rain is going to continue for days, the worst of it appears to be leveling off into a regular winter storm,” said Walnut Creek City Manager Dan Buckshi. “The City proactively planned for extra staffing to clear storm drains, respond to calls of localized flooding, and be available throughout the evening Wednesday night. The Public Works Maintenance Department Operations Center was in full operation mode, and the City coordinated with Contra Costa County, the Flood Control District, PG&E, the Red Cross, Contra Costa Fire, and other partners as needed.”

Community members who see any problems on roadways, with landslides or localized flooding should call the Police Department’s non-emergency number, 925-943-5844. Please use 9-1-1 only for a life-threatening emergency. The City also is urging residents to register for emergency alerts issued from Walnut Creek by texting WCALERT to the text number 888-777.

Mayor Cindy Silva also praised the preparation work for limiting the impacts of the storm. “When we asked the community to get ready, they heeded the call and prepared their homes and businesses,” Silva said. “And, it’s truly heartwarming to see so many community members reach out and support their friends and neighbors.”

Since New Year’s Eve, the City has distributed 45,000 sandbags and 650 yards of sand.

The City will continue to monitor conditions and is prepared to open its Emergency Operations Center if the need arises.

Storm-Related Outages

As of 10 a.m. Friday, there were 751 customers without power in Contra Costa County.

Pacific Gas & Electric reported that over the 24-hour period ending at 3 p.m. Thursday, the utility safely restored power to more than 406,000 customers across Northern California. There were still approximately 2,300 outages affecting 95,500 customers, with many in the North Coast, Bay Area and Central Coast areas.

"PG&E recognizes the urgency of restoring power and will work diligently until all customers are restored," the utility said in an emailed update.

Hazards such as fallen trees, floods and debris flows have made gaining access difficult in some areas and could delay power restoration efforts, PG&E said. Additional storms are forecast over the coming week, which will likely also impact restoration times and lead to additional widespread outages.

"I’d like to recognize the thousands of dedicated professionals out there working tirelessly to get the lights back on for our hometowns," said Janisse Quiñones, PG&E's senior vice president of Electric Operations.

"Our crews are out in full force restoring customers safely and as quickly as possible," Quiñones said. "We are conducting assessments of damage and prioritizing repairs with a focus on critical facilities and resolving outages that are impacting the largest number of customers. We have a short window of time to make as much progress as we can before the next weather system in this series of storms enters our service area over the weekend."

READ MORE: Storms Pause As California Braces For More Rain, Wind, Flooding

For updated forecasts visit AccuWeather