South County residents can plan to wring out the old year and
welcome the new with another pair of storms that could bring heavy
rain, but the region should be spared the mudslides and flooding
likely to hit other saturated areas.
Staff Report
Gilroy – South County residents can plan to wring out the old year and welcome the new with another pair of storms that could bring heavy rain, but the region should be spared the mudslides and flooding likely to hit other saturated areas.
The San Francisco Bay area and counties farther north were likely to bear the brunt of storms forecast to hit on Friday and Sunday, said Diana Henderson, a National Weather Service forecaster based in Monterey.
The storms could add as much as several inches locally and as much as six inches to the already water-logged North Bay by the end of the weekend, Henderson said.
From July 1 through Wednesday afternoon, Gilroy had received more than 8 inches of rain.
Although it will be wet and windy, flooding isn’t expected. The recent rains haven’t caused flooding anywhere in Santa Clara County.
“We’re in pretty good shape for the storm coming in (Tuesday night),” said Mike Di Marco, spokesman for the Santa Clara Valley Water District. “We think that we won’t see any reservoir spilling.”
Gilroy’s creeks have receded during the past couple of rain-free days and aren’t near the flooding point, said Di Marco.
In Sacramento, state water officials were preparing for more rain and flooding after a drenching winter storm this week prompted flood warnings and swelled Northern California rivers to their highest levels in seven years.
“Right now we’re at a lull between storms and the rivers are receding,” said Don Strickland, spokesman for the Department of Water Resources.
The snow level in the Sierra Nevada range was expected to drop to 7,000 feet, which would help water managers, Strickland said.
The state Department of Conservation urged people with hillside homes to prepare for potentially deadly mudslides. Officials encouraged residents to sign up for flash flood warnings and hazardous weather alerts.
Soggy soil and forecasts of more heavy rain have increased fears that instability in already drenched areas could trigger mudslides that could sweep away cars, buildings and other debris at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.
Landslides and mudslides kill more than 25 people in the United States every year and cause between $1 billion and $2 billion in damage, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Last January, 10 people were killed in the Southern California community of La Conchita when 1.7 million tons of mud and dirt slammed into their homes.
The storm forecast for Friday also was expected to generate waves in the 15- to 20-foot range, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a high surf advisory.
Associated Press contributed to this story.
