SF hit with rare flash flood warning amid California atmospheric river
SF hit with rare flash flood warning amid California atmospheric river
    Posted on 11/23/2024
LATEST Nov. 23, 6:15 a.m. Flood warnings have been canceled across the Bay Area as the worst of the storm hitting California moves south. Rain is expected to keep falling in the Bay Area on Saturday, although mostly before 10 a.m.; in the afternoon, winds are forecast to blow away the clouds, resulting in partly sunny skies. But rain is the forecast for the foreseeable future, with rain anticipated every day until Friday.

Nov. 22, 5 p.m. A flash flood alert in San Francisco has been downgraded to a flood warning as the intense downpour from a California atmospheric river slows down in the city but continues to pummel other parts of the Bay Area.

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San Francisco’s flood warning is in effect until 6:45 p.m., the National Weather Service said in a social media post.

Social media videos show San Francisco streets overflowing with water in multiple neighborhoods, including Haight-Ashbury and the Marina.

Flash flood warnings are still in effect in other parts of the Bay Area as the band of heavy rain moves through the region. The warning includes several parts of the East Bay, including Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, San Leandro, Castro Valley and Hayward.

The fierce storm is expected to eventually make its way to the South Bay and Central Coast by the evening, according to NWS.

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Nov. 22, 1:33 p.m. Officials are warning San Francisco residents of dangerous flooding as a powerful atmospheric river, propelled by a churning bomb cyclone, moves through the region.

An emergency phone alert went out to residents in San Francisco County, warning the public of “life-threatening” flash flooding. The warning was issued by the National Weather Service just before 1 p.m. Friday and is in effect until 3:45 p.m. The weather service said heavy rain is causing the flooding, and the region can expect an additional 1 to 3 inches.

During this time, residents should avoid walking or driving through flooded areas and move to higher ground, the weather service advised.

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A portion of northbound Interstate 280 is closed near John Daly Boulevard because of the flooding, the California Highway Patrol said. The weather service also warned drivers to look for pools of standing water or debris on the roadway.

“We get it that a lot of folks will choose to go out in these conditions,” Brayden Murdock, a meteorologist for the weather service, told SFGATE. “But remember that doesn’t just affect you, that affects the people that have to come get you if something happens.”

The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management warned the public in a social media post to “avoid unnecessary travel. If you must be out avoid flooded areas & down power lines. Elevate belongings in garages or basements.”

Murdock said the flood warning is “rare” for the Bay Area. It was issued because a narrow band of rain moved through the area, increasing rainfall rates, he said. The last flood warning in the county was issued on Feb. 20.

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“We’re still in the atmospheric river, and what happened over the last hour or two hours or so is we actually saw the forward momentum of the system,” Murdock said.

The flash flood means there is quick, moving water, Murdock said, and warnings like this one can feel like it “comes out of nowhere.”

“We take in consideration how much rainfall San Francisco can handle when it comes to drainage itself,” he said. “But also the rate of the rainfall, coupled with the fact that there’s some steep slopes in the city, and driving these conditions is very dangerous when you couple all those things together.”

The California storm brought near-record-breaking rain to the North Bay in recent days and is expected to stay in the Bay Area through the weekend.

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After the narrow cold front moves out, San Francisco is forecast to have more on-and-off showers for several hours.

“We’re still settling in for a good amount of rain through this afternoon, going into the evening, and finally, tonight, we’ll watch it drop off,” Murdock said.

Daly City, Pacifica and Broadmoor are also under flash flood warnings until 5 p.m. East Bay cities, including Oakland, Berkeley and Richmond, are under a warning until 6 p.m.

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This breaking news story has been updated.
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