The National Weather Service said Sunday night that another atmospheric river will hit the Bay Area on Wednesday and Thursday.
Light rain is forecasted for Monday and Tuesday, mostly in the North Bay. But the NWS says the later storm will likely be as powerful, or more so, than the last weekend storm that caused widespread flooding and damage.
The NWS says to expect similar impacts. Soil will remain saturated to near saturated, meaning a higher risk of flooding and shallow mudslides.
The Bay Area can expect rapid rises in creeks and streams as well as "main stem" rivers that may approach or reach flood stage.
Strong winds with gusts of 35 to 55 mph, with stronger gusts in the mountains, could lead to downed trees and power lines. Rain is expected to continue throughout the weekend.
A National Weather Service forecast warned Wednesday’s storm could cause widespread flooding and power outages, calling it “truly a brutal system that we are looking at and needs to be taken seriously.”
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Repeated storms make floods more likely. “It’s something we’re going to be keeping a close eye on, especially with elevated stream levels (and) saturated ground from our previous storm,” said Eric Kurth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “With what we’re going to be getting … adding on to that previous storm is really the big issue.”
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Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to the report.
