State of emergency in Madera County as first storm in atmospheric river hits

As predicted by the National Weather Service last week, an atmospheric river has brought series of winter storms to the Central Valley — and with them, high winds and heavy rain and snow.

A Winter Storm Warning was issued for much of the Southern Sierra Nevada and a High Wind Warning was issued for areas north of Fresno including Madera and Merced and west toward Los Banos. A Flood Advisory was issued Wednesday morning west of Fresno County, for an area that includes Mendota, Coalinga and Lemoore.

The Madera County Sheriff’s Office declared a state of emergency Wednesday, following an evacuation warning it issued on Tuesday for parts of Road 225 including the area within Sierra National Forest due to to possible debris/mud flows from burn scares left by the Creek Fire. The evacuation warning area includes Kinsman Flat Subdivision, Sagnaw Creek Subdivision and Cascadel Road at Cascadel Heights Drive.

While the debris may not directly impact homes, it could cause damage to roadways and result in homes being isolated from travel routes. The sheriff’s office encouraged residents to gather important documents, pets, medications and necessities and be prepared to leave immediately

“By declaring a local state of emergency it allows for some exceptions to county purchasing rules and it’s a formal request for assistance from the state and federal officials. Bottom line is, the added resources and streamlined regulations keep Madera County safer and enables our community to recover from disaster faster,” Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue said in a statement.

The Mariposa County Sheriff issued an emergency proclamation on Tuesday seeking assistance after heavy winds devastated parts of of that county last week.

To the south, the California Highway Patrol reported blowing dust and debris making for limited visibility during Wednesday morning commutes in Bakersfield. Interstate 5 was closed over the Grapevine on Wednesday morning due to snow. It was partially reopened by Wednesday afternoon, with the CHP escorting groups of cars through in both directions. A full closure could resume at any time, according to the CHP.

Heavy snowfall in the Sierra

Snow levels were around 3,000 feet Wednesday morning, and the weather service reported more two feet (26 inches) of snow in Tuolumne Meadows. The California Highway Patrol and Caltrans worked to clear hazards and assist motorists near Shaver Lake.

CalFire responded to an SUV that went over an embankment on Highway 168 near Littlefield on Wednesday morning. No one was injured and the CHP posted the damage to Twitter as a visual reminder for drivers to slow down and follow road conditions, including chains where needed.

Rain totals near half-inch in some areas

Rain totals are already adding up on the Valley floor, where area businesses are bracing for the impact of the storm. The Vineyard Farmers Market was closed on Wednesday today because of wind and rain.

The weather service reported 0.33 inches near Clovis over the past 24 hours. That number was 0.45 inches near Merced in Merced County.

The storm is expected to run through Friday, clearing up on Saturday and Sunday. Another system could bring more rain to the area on Monday and Tuesday.

Flooding on Highway 99 in Madera

The Madera Police Department is reporting flooding on northbound Highway 99 through Madera on Wednesday evening.

The flow of traffic is down to one lane, police said.

Police want motorists to remain alert of wet roadway conditions caused by the heavy rainfall and to slow down.

This story was originally published January 27, 2021 at 10:09 AM.