There are evacuation orders in parts of San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties that warn of an “immediate threat to life.”
The orders come amid forecasts that some parts of the bay area and the Santa Cruz and Santa Lucia mountains could see up to 10 inches of rainfall by Thursday at the end. A strong wind warning is also given in the bay area on Wednesday afternoon. Across the state, more than eight million people are receiving flood alerts, with a combination of torrential rainfall along with historic mountain snow hitting the region.
Santa Cruz County sheriff’s deputies went door-to-door earlier this week warning residents to leave the area before the storms, according to CNN affiliate KSBW.
“Please be safe and heed evacuation orders,” the sheriff’s office urged on Tuesday
Twitter.
Potential for hazardous mudslides
But it’s not just the strong winds and heavy rains that worry officials. Significant burn scars remain from the devastating 2020 wildfire season, which means there is potential for mudslides. In Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, the Lightning CZU August complex burned more than 85,000 acres in the fall.
When forest fires consume land, they destroy vegetation that would otherwise absorb water and keep soil and debris in place. After millions of acres were burned across the state last year, now the land has a higher risk of both rapid flooding and mudslides.
And mudslides can be extremely dangerous. On average, they kill between 25 and 50 people across the United States each year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Most of the fatalities are the result of “rock falls, debris flows or volcanic debris flows,” according to USGS.
In January 2018, at least 20 people lost their lives, dozens of houses were destroyed and hundreds more were damaged as a result of the landslides that devastated Montecito.
Resident Tina Button told KSBW that her family bought an RV specifically for situations like this.
“If we have to leave, we have a place where we don’t have to pay or worry about finding it,” Button said. “Before when we evacuated fires, we didn’t know where we were going.”
Heavy snow was also expected
Meanwhile, parts of the Sierra Alta can see up to 5 feet of snow this week, and some areas can see up to 7 feet of snow through Friday.
Caltrans, the state transportation agency, said they expected “snowstorm conditions and shutdown” in some parts of the Sierra.
“We can’t stress it enough; if you haven’t arrived at your destination before sunset tonight, it’s not advisable to travel to the Sierra,” Caltrans wrote in
Twitter Tuesday. “Heavy snow is ready and disconnection conditions are expected. Make smart travel decisions.”
In Butte County, authorities reported that it had begun to snow and warned residents to “take all precautions” when driving.
“Remember to slow down, watch for road hazards, such as fallen trees, power lines, and other hazards,” Butte County Sheriff’s Office said
dit.
CNN’s Joe Sutton and Sarah Moon contributed to this report.
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