CAL OES Prepares For Incoming Atmospheric River Weather System

Flood Watch Area - NWS

Sonora, CA — With heavy rain and high-country snow anticipated this weekend across Northern California, and continuing into next week, the California Office of Emergency Services reports that it is pre-deploying resources ahead of the weather event.

State officials are urging everyone to take precautions now before the storm arrives. To read an earlier story about the local weather forecast, noting that anywhere from 2-4 inches of rain is anticipated this weekend in the foothills, click here.

Cal OES is encouraging people to reduce risks from falling limbs and trees by staying inside, not driving through flooded roadways, and preparing in advance for potential power outages.

Residents in the affected counties are urged to stay informed and listen to local authorities about actions they should take.

Actions being implemented by CAL OES are below:

• The State-Federal Flood Operations Center is monitoring forecasts and coordinating with partners.
• In collaboration with the California-Nevada River Forecast Center (CNRFC), DWR engineers and CNRFC hydrologists are conducting river forecasts up to four times a day.
• DWR has pre-positioned flood fight materials in Northern and Central California including over 3.7 million burlap sandbags and 162 flood fight material containers across 25 counties.
• The flood control system is working as intended with flood space available throughout the system. Water can move throughout California’s flood control system including natural weirs overtopping, water in the region’s bypasses, and potential use of spillways at reservoirs.
• Caltrans has 2,500 personnel and 1,253 pieces of storm equipment including snowplows, backhoes, and storm drain clearing equipment.
• 133 CAL FIRE engines and 7 CAL FIRE hand crews staffed across the northern region that are ready to respond.

The storm system could bring power outages, flooding in small streams, and debris and mudslides on roadways.