A powerful storm is beginning to move into California as the saturated state faces a new round of wet weather that could trigger flooding and debris flows.
The brunt of the storm is expected to affect Southern California starting around midday Friday and into Saturday.
The foothill city of Duarte east of Los Angeles has ordered a precautionary evacuation of some homes, and the Santa Anita race track has canceled horse racing for the day.
Forecasters say rain will also spread into Central California and up to the San Francisco Bay Area.
The far northern end of the state will not see significant precipitation from the storm, however.
The National Weather Service says only scattered light showers are occurring in the region north of Sacramento, where the damaged Oroville Dam continues to release water in advance of new storms.
EARLIER -
A powerful storm hit California with the first in a new series of rainstorms moving across the northern half of the state while the south awaited a rains that forecasters said could be the strongest in years if not decades.
Rain, accompanied by heavy winds, pelted the San Francisco Bay Area, where Marin and Napa counties logged up to an inch of precipitation. San Francisco recorded 1.67 inches for the day, according to the National Weather Service. In Northern California, officials monitoring the stricken Oroville Dam said they were confident the reservoir would handle runoff from the storms because releases have been lowering the lake’s level since its spillways were damaged last week, prompting mass evacuations. People are now back in their home but warned to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
Precipitation also moved down the Central Coast counties, but forecasters said it was only a light precursor to a dangerous atmospheric river taking aim at Southern California.
The plume of moisture stretching far out over the Pacific was expected to arrive early Friday and last through the day and into Saturday.
Flood warnings for the period were in effect for rivers and creeks up and down the state. High wind warnings were issued for mountains and valleys, which could see gusts to 70 mph.
“The storm looks to be the strongest storm to hit southwest California this season,” the National Weather Service office for the Los Angeles region wrote. “It is likely the strongest within the last six years and possibly even as far back as December 2004 or January 1995.”
Rainfall predictions ranged from 2 inches to 6 inches on the coast and from 5 inches to 10 inches in foothills and coastal mountain slopes.
Jerry Rootlieb piled sandbags in front of the white wooden gate at his waterfront house in Seal Beach, saying it may not be enough to keep water from inside his house.
“I’m hoping it doesn’t get that bad, but if we get 3 inches or more, it’ll be higher than those sandbags,” Rootlieb told KTTV-TV. "I’m concerned."
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