A dangerous, intense storm is expected to slam into California, bringing the potential for widespread flooding in Southern California, mudslides and debris flows along the coast and in the Bay Area and heavy snow to the Sierra.
Kicking winter into high gear, the storm could bring record-breaking precipitation across the state, but the impacts won’t be the same, experts said Friday. Strong winds could cause power outages on Sunday in the Sacramento region and elsewhere, and the rain is likely to back up storm drains and cause minor flooding on local creeks and some roads.
Rain was expected to begin falling in Northern California on Saturday evening, primarily along the coastal Bay Area, the result of the second atmospheric river to reach the state in less than a week.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has deployed personnel and resources to many areas in the path of the storm, including more than 550 firefighters and 19 swift-water rescue teams in 19 counties, officials said. Two million sandbags have been pre-positioned across the state.