JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

A strong winter storm introduced heavy rains and damaging winds to massive elements of California in a single day and into at this time. The storm knocked out energy for tens of 1000’s of individuals, triggered flash flooding and downed bushes, and there’s extra rain on the best way.

NPR’s Eric Westervelt joins us now from the Bay Space in Northern California with an replace on the storm. Hey, Eric.

ERIC WESTERVELT, BYLINE: Hey, Juana.

SUMMERS: This was what’s referred to as an atmospheric river, and it was a strong one. Nationwide Climate Service forecasters had issued robust warnings about its potential impression. What is the newest?

WESTERVELT: Yeah, the storm toppled some bushes. It knocked down energy traces. It flooded some houses and roadways. Energy’s nonetheless out for 1000’s, largely in coastal counties stretching from Humboldt within the north to Santa Cruz County, south of the Bay Space. I imply, there have been some fairly robust winds, as much as 85 miles an hour in some locations. The flood risk stays fairly excessive in a number of areas. In Sonoma County, for instance, they’ve issued an evacuation warning for residents in low-lying areas alongside the Russian River.

So, I imply, the storm actually packed a punch. It did some harm, a few of it vital, however actually not as large a punch as some had feared. I spoke with Rene Mendez, town supervisor for Watsonville in Santa Cruz County, which usually sees flooding throughout large storms like this. Town lifted its evacuation order at this time.

RENE MENDEZ: It wasn’t as intense as we anticipated. Clearly, climate’s unpredictable, as we all know. It is nonetheless sprinkling, nonetheless raining, however issues are calmer. We lifted the evac order ‘trigger now we have – at the least at this level, we really feel snug to ship our residents again. However we’re actually strongly advising – as you recognize, this climate sample goes to proceed for just a few days – be ready in case we have to evacuate once more.

WESTERVELT: And Juana, Mendez added, you recognize, now exhausted metropolis crews and first responders can get a little bit relaxation and hopefully, you recognize, begin to get again to regular.

SUMMERS: Yeah. So some officers clearly are respiratory a sigh of reduction for now. However I perceive that the storm did play a job in at the least two deaths. Are you able to inform us what you recognize about these?

WESTERVELT: Yeah. I spoke with a volunteer fireman with the Occidental fireplace and rescue in Sonoma County. He was fairly shaken up by the incident and did not wish to go on tape, however he instructed me the storm knocked a tree onto a double-wide trailer final evening, destroying the house. And it struck a toddler. The two-year-old was pinned in his lounge by the tree. They lastly bought him out beneath the tree. He went into cardiac arrest. Crews tried to resuscitate him. They did their finest, however they might not. And in addition in Fairfield, simply northeast of the Bay Space, police inform us a 19-year-old lady died after her automobile hydroplaned on a flooded highway after which struck a utility pole.

SUMMERS: Eric, you’re within the northern a part of the state, however in Southern California, native officers additionally lifted some evacuation orders. What’s the scenario there proper now?

WESTERVELT: Yeah. In Santa Barbara County exterior LA, you recognize, individuals have been involved about flooding and extra rain inflicting particles flows and mudslides. One space specifically, Montecito, was very involved. That they had some evacuation orders there as a result of in 2018, Juana, the realm noticed a devastating landslide after heavy rains hit an space that had been burned by wildfires. And the mudflows there killed 23 individuals and destroyed greater than 100 houses again then. However at this time, evacuation orders have been lifted. And like in Watsonville, officers are voicing some cautious optimism that issues are getting higher.

SUMMERS: , that is the most recent of three storms to hit the state within the final two weeks, and, as I discussed, extra rain is on the best way. I’ve to think about that has to have emergency crews fairly involved.

WESTERVELT: Yeah, for certain. I imply, extra rain’s coming within the weekend and into subsequent week, presumably. So the fear is that this parade of storms goes to actually begin to trigger wider harm, probably – you recognize, worries about mudslides, particularly in coastal areas as extra rain heads right here. However the excellent news is, you recognize, I feel these storms aren’t anticipated to be almost as robust as this atmospheric river that simply got here by way of.

SUMMERS: Excellent news, certainly. NPR’s Eric Westervelt with the most recent on California’s storms. Thanks.

WESTERVELT: You are welcome. Transcript supplied by NPR, Copyright NPR.