Torrential rain and blustery winds continue to torment the Bay Area on Monday as part of the ongoing atmospheric river, causing widespread flooding and wreaking havoc on the roadways.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for two CZU lightning complex burn areas in Southeastern San Mateo County and Northwestern Santa Cruz County shortly before 11 a.m, and it expired at 11:45 a.m
"Over the last hour or two we've seen some real intensification of the storms and seen some heavy rain bands travel over the burn scar areas in Santa Cruz. We've seen the burn threshold rainfall rate approaching an inch per hour," Jeff Lorber, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told KCBS Radio when the warning was issued.
Lorber said that the flooding can cause soil to be more prone to "debris flows, which can flow onto roadways, onto people's property, posing real hazards for people on the roadway as they travel throughout the area." He added this can lead to rockslides or mudslides.
Lorber cautioned that it’s "definitely hazardous to be on the road" in the impacted areas.
"Please avoid any flooded roadway and expect road closures in that area for the next couple of hours or so."
Lorber said the agency will continue to monitor the situation and will extend the warning as needed.
The peninsula region experienced multiple disasters caused by the deluge on Monday. Heavy flooding shut down Highway 1 and Route 35 near Half Moon Bay, with no estimated time of reopening. In addition, a minor mudslide temporarily closed a portion of Felton Rd.
The agency also issued a wind advisory early Monday morning for the entire Bay Area, which is scheduled to last until 4 p.m. Peak wind gusts have been reported as high as 79 miles per hour in the Santa Cruz mountains and 77 miles per hour in Alameda County south of Livermore.
The heavy gusts caused massive scaffolding from a Union Bank building to collapse onto the highly trafficked S. El Camino Real from 3rd Ave to 5th Ave. It's unknown how long it will take to clear the debris.
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