LOS ANGELES — The latest atmospheric river storm began moving into an already saturated Northern California early Friday, raising flooding concerns across the San Francisco Bay Area, especially along Monterey County’s Salinas River.
Waters from the Salinas River near Chualar already breached some levees late Thursday and flooded nearby farmland, according to KSBW-TV. Forecasters predict the area could see the worst of the flooding late Friday, when the river is expected to crest almost 2 feet above flood stage, according to the latest projections.
County officials and forecasters began warning Thursday that severe flooding from the river — depending on conditions — could overrun Highways 1 and 68, which would effectively cut off the Monterey Peninsula from the rest of the Bay Area.
But updated forecasts Friday morning predicted that flooding would remain minor — and was less likely to strand the Monterey Peninsula. Flooding was not expected to reach the moderate stage, as had been predicted Thursday.
“It doesn’t look like it was quite as strong as anticipated,” said Colby Goatley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey. The flood forecasts incorporate expected rainfall and downstream flow, the latter of which appeared weaker early Friday.
The Salinas River at the town of Spreckels rose above flood stage — beginning at 23 feet — Thursday evening, reaching 24.5 feet as of 8 a.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The river is expected to peak just under 25 feet by late Friday, remaining in flood stage through Sunday, according to the latest projections from the California Nevada River Forecast Center.
Although flooding is forecast to be minor, the height of the river early Friday — at just above 24 feet — is expected to significantly impact the lowest areas of agricultural land along the lower portions of the Salinas River, according to the area’s flood warning, as well as be problematic for local roadways.
Friday’s storm marks the eighth atmospheric-river-fueled event in the state since Christmas, dumping heavy rains across the state in a relentless series of storms that have brought mass power outages, dangerous landslides, strong winds and frequent localized flooding.
Flood watches remain in effect along the Navarro and Russian rivers in Mendocino County, though most of those areas aren’t expected to reach flood stage until the weekend. But near the town of Hopland, flooding could begin by Friday afternoon, with concerns about significant flooding Saturday, especially at the Highway 175 bridge that crosses the Russian River.
A high surf warning is in effect for much of the Bay Area coast, with waves up to 25 feet expected and warnings of localized beach erosion and “farther than normal wave run-up.” The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office on Friday morning issued an evacuation warning for the coastal areas of Moss Landing and Monterey Dunes. Residents along Monterey Bay in areas south of Sandholdt Road, north of the southernmost point of Monterey Dunes Way and west of Highway 1 to the Pacific Ocean, were told to “prepare to leave.”
Carmel-by-the-Sea and portions of Carmel Valley, as well as areas near the Big Sur River, are also under an evacuation warning.
All schools within the Salinas City Elementary School District were closed Friday because of likely road closures, according to a district news release, and classes were canceled for the Salinas Union High School District.
Monterey County has opened six evacuation shelters operated by the Red Cross. More information can be found on the Red Cross website.
Heavy rains are expected across the Bay Area on Friday. Into the mountains, heavy snow is expected to make travel dangerous through Monday.
In Southern California, the bulk of the storm isn’t expected to hit until Saturday, with rains forecast across the region, as well as “minor roadway ponding” and “moderate to brief heavy rain, leading to minor urban and small creek flooding,” according to the National Weather Service.
