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New California storm brings risk of mudslides, blizzard

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New California storm brings risk of mudslides, blizzard
A river of mud is cleared from the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, on Monday.CalTrans / AP

New California storm brings risk of mudslides, blizzard

Authorities are concerned about the potential danger for thousands of people living in foothill and canyon areas devastated by last year’s wildfires.

 

 / Updated By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Another Pacific storm was set to hit California on Wednesday, bringing a threat of mudslides to the site of the deadliest wildfire in state history and a rare blizzard warning in the Sierra Nevada.

An evacuation warning was in place into Thursday morning for Pulga, a canyon community in Northern California. Its neighbor, the town of Paradise, was virtually incinerated two months ago by the Camp Fire that killed 86 people and destroyed nearly 15,000 homes.

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the county beginning late Wednesday afternoon.

“If flooding occurs, this can quickly become a dangerous and life-threatening situation,” the Butte County Sheriff’s Office warned.

The north could see the strongest storm of the year with heavy rain in the San Francisco Bay Area leading to a widespread flash flood watch beginning in the afternoon. Flood and high wind watches were scheduled for the Sacramento area, with the weather service warning that gusts could lead to power outages, downed trees and tough driving conditions.

NWS Sacramento

Light snow and poor travel is going to continue over the mountains into the overnight. Heavy snow moves in tomorrow afternoon and mountain travel will be dangerous to near impossible into Thursday.
A blizzard warning for much of the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe was set to go into effect Wednesday night, with meteorologists predicting as much of 5 feet of snow in upper elevations and wind gusts of up to 100 mph on ridgetops.

Dangerous and potentially life-threatening conditions were expected at elevations above 7,000 feet, with high avalanche danger throughout the region.

A week of storms has left authorities concerned about the potential danger for thousands of people living in foothill and canyon areas devastated by last year’s wildfires. Immense areas of the state were razed by wind-whipped flames, leaving hillsides bare of vegetation that could stabilize soil and prevent mudslides.

NWS Weather Prediction Center Weather Conditions graphic valid through 8am ET Wed, Jan 16, 2019.NWS Weather Prediction Center Excessive Rainfall Outlook Valid until 7am ET Wed, Jan 16, 2019NWS Weather Prediction Center Excessive Rainfall Outlook Valid 7am ET Wed, Jan 16 through 7am ET Thu, Jan 17, 2019

NWS

Several thousand people heeded a mandatory evacuation order in Santa Barbara County on the Central Coast, where last year a sudden debris flow swept through Montecito, killing 23 people and destroying 100 homes.

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