California authorities are warning residents that a potential storm could result in flooding from massive rain and snowmelt expected to come later this week.
The situation comes as the state continues to recover from large amounts of snow that caused some mountain communities to be trapped. There are roughly 16 million people across central and Northern California, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento.
California Storm Warning
On Wednesday, they were under flood watches ahead of a storm set to deliver massive rainfall to the region on Thursday. The dangerous amounts of rain were expected to drop in most areas now experiencing layers of heavy snow from previous brutal storms.
In a statement, the Weather Prediction Center said that a mix of heavy rain and snowmelt brought a risk of flooding to affected regions. It added that creeks and streams located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada were the most vulnerable to flooding due to rain and snowmelt, as per CNN.
Mrin and Monterey county officials have already started preparing for the looming storm, which they expect will strike the region with the power of a strong atmospheric river event. Specifically for Monterey County's Big Sur community, the emergency services office advises residents and businesses to stock up on essentials that would be enough for two weeks.
Furthermore, county officials ordered sandbags to be made available for residents who need them to protect their property. The Big Sur area is located roughly 150 miles south of San Francisco and is one of central California's famous tourist attractions.
Officials from the Marin County fire department said they have staff prepared for rescue operations in anticipation of potential flooding in the region. Fire Chief Jason Weber added that the department's reservoirs were full from earlier this year's storms.
Dangers of Potential Flooding
The National Weather Service also placed several parts of Northern and Central California under Level 3 out of 4 flood risk. They noted that there is a possibility for roughly six to eight inches of rain to arrive across various regions of the central California coast and Sierra Nevada below snow levels, according to the Washington Post.
The service wrote a forecast discussion noting that rainfall totals could range from 1.5 to four inches with local peaks of up to six to eight inches. The National Weather Service added that pre-existing saturated soils could not absorb excess rainfall.
Flooding in the area is a significant risk because many rivers run well above average across central and Northern California. These include the Merced River at Stevinson, California, which officials expect to have a record crest of 74 feet on Saturday.
In a statement, AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said that people and businesses have already started to clean up from the aftermath of previous storms. This means that the latest storm has the potential to become a disaster upon previous disasters and would further complicate the situation, said AccuWeather.
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