OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 28: A Caltrans crew works to clear a flooded portion of northbound Highway 13 on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2022, in Oakland, Calif. Rain is excepted across the Bay Area this week. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
Officials warned Bay Area residents to use Tuesday as a preparation day for a brutal storm that will bring strong rain and wind to the region on Wednesday, carrying serious danger for residents in flood-prone areas.
“To put it simply, this will likely be one of the most impactful systems on a widespread scale that this meteorologist has seen in a long while,” a National Weather Service report said Monday evening. “The impacts will include widespread flooding, roads washing out, hillsides collapsing, trees down, widespread power outages, immediate disruption to commerce, and the worst of all, likely loss of human life.
“This is truly a brutal system that we are looking at and needs to be taken seriously.”
Tuesday’s conditions were expected to be mild, with no more than one-quarter of an inch of rain coming to most urban centers.
For Wednesday, forecasts showed about San Jose could receive as much as two inches of rain, a mark that might be matched in Oakland. Wind gusts were projected to reach well over 40 mph in both cities. San Francisco forecasts were nearly identical, with precipitation expected to reach between one and two inches on Wednesday.
NWS meteorologists said Tuesday morning that while the upcoming storm could perhaps yield a little less rain than the New Year’s Eve weather event, vicious winds could create havoc throughout the region. Gusts were projected to reach up to 60 mph Wednesday, leading to a high wind watch set to last from late Tuesday through Thursday morning
“If you were impacted by the New Year’s Eve storm, meaning if your property was flooded, there’s a good likelihood that the same creeks and streams that responded last time respond this time,” said NWS meteorologist Ryan Walbrun.
The NWS advised residents to make sure vehicles were gassed up in case of evacuation mandates, cell phones were charged and emergency alerts were activated and to prepare for potential power outages.
Tomorrow, Jan 3, is your last day to do storm prep before heavy rain & strong winds arrive Wed-Thu. Here's a list of things to think about. Visit https://t.co/Ae6WOCLusm for more info. #cawx #BayArea pic.twitter.com/pHJOINlLrf
— NWS Bay Area
(@NWSBayArea) January 3, 2023
Originally published at Austin Turner