A day after the season's first storm, many local waterways are moving swifter than have in a while. It was one of the ugliest to hit the Bay Area, and reportedly the strongest October storm in 50 years.
About 2.25" inches of rain fell in San Jose; San Francisco got nearly 3 inches and more than 10 inches of rain fell in Ben Lomond in the Santa Cruz Mountains. All the moisture primed for the the area for mudslides because it was aleady damaged by the summer's Lockheed Fire wildfire.
The fears of mudslides forced a mandatory evacuation order for residents in the the town of Davenport, where 5 inches of rain fell. Just a few months ago, they were also forced to leave because of the wildfire threat.
Debris and ash flowing from the summer wildfire could create more problems for the mountain community, even as the rain eases. A geologist is expected to examine areas under the evacuation zones on Wednesday to evaluate and assess the possibility of slides before residents are allowed to return.
Here's a look at some of the rainfall totals from Tuesday:
- Mt. Umunhum: 13.23
- Mt. Diablo: 5.72"
- San Rafael: 5.70
- St. Mary's College: 5.21"
- La Honda: 4.64"
There's more rain in the forecast but it won't be nearly as much as what came down on Tuesday. Light rain will sprinkle down over the weekend, NBC Bay Area's Craig Herrera says.
