After a two-day break from wet weather, Bay Area residents are bracing for another storm this weekend expected to bring heavy rain and possible flooding. Jeff Ranieri, Cheryl Hurd and Rick Boone report.
After a two-day break from wet weather, Bay Area residents are bracing for another storm this weekend expected to bring heavy rain and possible flooding.
The storm is expected to return Saturday morning into the evening, with the heaviest rain and flood potential on Sunday. A flash flood watch for the entire Bay Area will go into effect beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturday before expiring at 9 p.m. on Sunday.
The latest forecast calls for rain totals likely around two to four inches for lower elevations, NBC Bay Area Chief Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri said. Higher elevations of the Santa Cruz Mountains could see more than six inches of rain this weekend.
About 70 horses from the Covered Bridge Equestrian in Felton were evacuated ahead of the storm.
Rivers, creeks and streams could also rise to near flood stage, Ranieri said.
Officials have set up sand bag stations for residents throughout the Bay Area, especially in at-risk locations.
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"We're giving them a shovel and the sand and showing them how to fill them up,'' said Jason Hoppin, a Santa Cruz County spokesman. "We haven't seen rain like this in a long time.''
David Wenrick from Felton is taking matters into his own hands. His house sits directly on the San Lorenzo River so he has decided to put his furniture on stilts just in case rushing water floods his home.
Meanwhile, rangers at Yosemite on Friday closed access to the valley floor.
Access to Yosemite's valley closed at 5 p.m. Friday ahead of stormy conditions. Other parts of the park will remain open, but rangers caution visitors to be aware of ice and debris on the roads. The closure is expected at least through Sunday, officials said.
The heavy rains come as California enters a sixth year of drought, starting in October with more rain falling than in three decades, mostly in Northern California. Los Angeles is experiencing the wettest winter in six years, forecasters said.
- View the latest weather alerts here
- View NBC Bay Area interactive radar to track the storm here
- To sign up for flooding alerts near San Francisquito Creek click here
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
