Vehicles drive through a flooded area as a powerful storm drenched northern California in Fairfield, California, U.S. October 24, 2021. REUTERS
A powerful storm drenched wildfire-scarred Northern California on Sunday, triggering mudslides and flooding, while heavy winds toppled utility poles and downed trees in what meteorologists called a 鈥渂omb cyclone.鈥�
Up to 10 inches (25 cm) of rain were expected to wash over the West Coast, said meteorologist Marc Chenard of the Weather Prediction Center at the National Weather Service.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an atmospheric river already moving through Northern California,鈥� he added, describing the storm as a 鈥渂omb cyclone,鈥� an intense weather event when the barometric pressure drops quickly.
The storm follows the busiest wildfire season in California history and heightens threats of flash flooding. Much of the region is in severe, extreme or exceptional drought, as classified by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
鈥淏urn scars, that鈥檚 the area where the water tends to run off quicker, so that鈥檚 where the biggest flash-flood risks are,鈥� Chenard said. 鈥淲arnings are of life-threatening flash flooding in and around the burn scars.鈥�
Multiple mudslides were already reported in some of the 570,000 acres (230,670 hectares) blackened by the Dixie Fire in the Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of San Francisco, the second-largest wildfire recorded in state history, he said.
The area of Central California where the 2020 Creek Fire ripped through was placed under evacuation warning status, the Fresno County Sheriff鈥檚 Office tweeted.
Emergency services issued flood warnings for areas including Marin County, just north of San Francisco, and portions of the Napa River.
Winds over 50 miles per hour (80 kph) gusted through San Francisco and triggered power outages around Sacramento, where residents tweeted photographs of toppled utility poles smashing cars and blocking roadways. As much as 5 inches (13 cm) of rain was predicted.
Strong winds knocked over an orange truck on the Richmond鈥揝an Rafael Bridge in the San Francisco Bay Area, several Twitter users reported.
Sandbags were being handed out and evacuation centers were opened in the state capital, Sacramento. The Sacramento Office of Emergency Service tweeted: 鈥淩emember 鈥� never drive through standing water! Turn around, don鈥檛 drown!鈥�
Snow was expected in higher elevations, Chenard said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a pretty impressive storm system,鈥� Chenard said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 happening now and it鈥檚 going to continue into the day tomorrow. It will be gradually shifting southward across Central California tonight and tomorrow.鈥�