Evacuation alerts in place as storm hits Fresno, central San Joaquin Valley
A winter rainstorm that pounded Northern California with heavy rain and high winds has made its way to the central San Joaquin Valley.
Rain defied forecasts and held off for hours as wind whipped through Fresno and nearby communities. The precipitation started around 6:30 a.m. in north Fresno and earlier in Merced and the north Valley.
MONDAY’S WEATHER COVERAGE: Winter storm arrives in Fresno
The storm is forecast to drop an inch or more of rain in the Fresno area on Monday and up to four to six inches of rain in the foothills.
The storm, fueled by an atmospheric river, is classified as a Category 5, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
Much like tornadoes and hurricanes, atmospheric river storms are categorized on a sliding scale of intensity with Category 5 at the top, described as “primarily hazardous.”
The National Weather Service in Hanford has issued a winter storm warning for Sierra Nevada elevations above 8,000 feet from 5 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday.
Most of this snow will fall late Sunday and Monday morning. Travel will be extremely difficult or impossible, with at least one closure in place as of early Sunday afternoon.
If you plan to travel, consider alternate strategies, the Weather Service cautioned on its website.
Here are the latest updates as well as earlier advisories compiled by Fresno Bee staff.
7:30 a.m. Monday: Rain has started; areas to avoid
Rain finally has reached Fresno and more southern points of the central San Joaquin Valley — just in time for the morning commute. Overnight winds felled branches across the region, making driving treacherous in spots. Exercise extreme caution as you head out this morning.
Bee Reporters Brianna Calix and Tim Sheehan put together a story and an interactive map of notorious flood spots in Fresno. Hover over the points on the map for info.
9:40 p.m.: Yosemite, Oakhurst and Coarsegold hit by rain
The National Weather Service said that rain was starting to push into Yosemite National Park on Sunday night with the south front stretching to Oakhurst and Coarsegold.
Meteorologist Kris Mattarochia said those areas were starting to experience moderate to heavy rainfall. The Merced River at the Pohono Bridge in Yosemite Valley is expected to rise to 9.6 feet, just under the flood stage at 10 feet.
According to Mattarochia, the rain wasn’t expected to hit the Central Valley until midnight with some light rain. The rain was expected to be its heaviest from 6 a.m. to noon on Monday and tapering off the rest of the day.
—LARRY VALENZUELA
8:35 p.m.: Will Valley get a 49ers-like drenching?
As the rainstorm slowly made its way into the Central Valley, many residents here were watching a steady downpour in Santa Clara soaking the 49ers game at Levi’s Stadium Sunday night. (Making matters worse, the Indianapolis Colts beat the 49ers 30-18.)
National Weather Service meteorologist Kris Mattarochia said not to worry, the Central Valley is not expected to get hit that hard.
“We do expect heavy rain in the mountains. For us in the Valley, we have what is called the rain shadow which works out to dry out some of the rain. It’s still going to rain in the Central Valley, but we’re not going to get like 6 to 8 inches like they have been getting in the Bay Area,” Mattarochia said.
—LARRY VALENZUELA
6:40 p.m. NWS issues flooding warning
A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for the Sierra Nevada below 8,000 feet and adjacent foothills until 11 p.m. Monday, the Weather Service tweeted early Sunday night.
“A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding,” the tweet stated.
“Atmospheric conditions may result in torrential rainfall below 8,000 feet.”
What to do? The NWS advises:
▪ Be prepared
▪ Be ready to move to higher ground quickly
▪ Pay close attention to the weather
—DAVE COOPER
5 p.m.: Sandbags available at county yards
Need sandbags to help protect against flooding in low-lying, rural areas? Fresno County can help.
“During the rain/flood season, the following road yards will remain open 24 hours a day,” the county notes on its Public Works website. “Empty bags are provided free of charge to County residents, homes located in unincorporated areas.”
Here are the sites for various areas:
▪ Biola area, Area 4: Road Yard, 12855 W. G St.
▪ Fresno-Clovis area, Area 7: Road Yard, 9400 N. Matus Ave.
▪ Sanger area, Area 8: Road Yard, 9525 E. Olive Ave.
People must bring their own shovel and put the sand into bags themselves.
Kyle Sedra was at the Fresno-Clovis site on Sunday afternoon, filling bags and loading them in the back of his truck. He said he has lived in his home near Liberty Elementary and the Fort Washington area for about 10 years.
“We had bad luck in the past with floods,” Sedra said. “We already had to replace all our house’s floors because of flooding a few years ago.
“We didn’t know about the issues with flooding because it doesn’t rain very often, then it did really bad four years ago. Now we’re just trying to prepare with sandbags and see what happens.”
—LARRY VALENZUELA, DAVE COOPER
3 p.m.: Tracking rain probabilities in Fresno, beyond
Weather Service forecasters continue to update the likelihood of heavy rain of one inch or more in various Valley cities during the storm’s peak.
Fresno is at the top of the list at 79%, with Madera and Merced close behind.
South Valley cities including Hanford and Visalia have a little better than a 50-50 chance of getting an inch or more.
—DAVE COOPER
2:07 p.m.: Fresno County issues evacuation warning
The threat of heavy rain prompted Fresno County officials to issue evacuation warning for residents in the Creek Fire burn scar area.
An evacuation order has been issued for Big Creek Canyon from below Big Creek to the San Joaquin River.
—ROBERT RODRIGUEZ
12:11 p.m.: Caltrans road closure at Hume Lake
State Route 180 is closed from 8.7 miles east of the junction of State Route 245 at Hume Lake Road to Cedar Grove due to an imminent storm.
No alternate route is available.
The road is expected to reopen by Tuesday, Oct 26.
—ROBERT RODRIGUEZ
This story was originally published October 24, 2021 at 5:01 PM.
