Over 200,000 California power customers lose service as wind gusts strengthen
From CNN's Caitlin Kaiser
Power outages are rapidly rising in California, particularly along the coast, as rain and strong winds associated with the atmospheric river move into the area.
As of 1:25 p.m. local time (4:25 p.m. ET), over 200,000 customers are without power in California, according toPowerOutages.us. This is up from 60,000 customer outages just a few hours earlier.
Power outages are expected to continue to rise, especially in central and southern portions of California, as wind gusts grow stronger throughout the evening and into tomorrow.
Here are some of the notable wind gusts observed across the state so far:
- Monterey: 85 mph
- Santa Clara: 81 mph
- Saint Lucia Mountains - Falcon Road: 80 mph
- Santa Barbara Southwestern Coast: De La Concepcion: 78 mph
- San Luis Obispo County Mountains - Mt. Lowe: 77 mph
- Santa Barbara County Inland Central Coast - Purisima Hills: 75 mph
- Santa Rosa Island: 74 mph
California Gov. Gavin Newsom visits state Operations Center for weather update
From CNN’s Sonya Hamasaki
California Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the state's Operations Center in Mather, California, on Sunday to receive an update on the latest weather forecasts and the state's response efforts.
"A record 8,500 state-coordinated, prepositioned emergency assets are ready to respond to potential flooding, landslides, travel impacts and 911 calls," according to aposton X from Newsom's office.
Newsom's office announced on Friday that the state has 1,200 pieces of winter equipment available to remove snow and ice from roads, 21 swift water rescue teamon standby, and California National Guard members ready to rapidly deploy if called upon. More than7 million sandbags have been placed ahead of the storm, and the state is prepared to provide shelter and food for more than 37,000 people.
Long Beach is "ready to respond" to extreme weather, fire captain says
From CNN's Sarah Engel
Long Beach Fire Capt. Jake Heflin says his department has a "robust response capability" for the extreme weather hitting Southern California.
"We deal with swells, we deal with high tides, we deal with these types of storms. We've had experience in the past with this," Heflin said in an interview with CNN Newsroom on Sunday.
Heflin said Long Beach, which is located in southern Los Angeles County, is expecting upwards of 6 inches of rain in the coming days. He encouraged citizens to stay away from fast-moving waters and flooded intersections.
Heflin said that the city is staging backup generators and portable pumps "where we experienced some challenges in the last storm," referring to the previous atmospheric river that lashed the state just a few days ago.
Extreme weather means "stay home and stay safe," Caltrans director says
From CNN's Sarah Engel
The director of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) says the organization has 4,000 staff members and plenty of storm equipment at the ready across the state
Director Tony Tavares described the department's efforts as "all hands on deck." As some crews in Northern California monitor wildfire burn scar areas, others dealwith the snow and ice in the mountains, andcrews along the southern coast watch for heavy flooding.
"We're telling all Californians in the path of this storm, if you don't need to be on the roadways, stay home and stay safe. That's the best place right now,”Tavares said.
Evacuations ordered for parts of Los Angeles neighborhood where fire burned last year
From CNN’s Sonya Hamasaki
Evacuation orders are in place for portions of Topanga Canyon in Los Angelesdue to possible mud or landslides, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
The order — which went into place Saturday evening and lasts through Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. local time (9 p.m. ET) — is in place for Santa Maria Road, north of Topanga Canyon Road.
The Owens brush fire burned about 50 acres in this area last July.
A Red Cross shelter in neighboring Reseda is open for residents.
A separate evacuation order is also in effect for some residents in the Shadow Hills community of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley on Sunday.
Over 100 flights canceled and 250 others delayed at San Francisco International Airport
From CNN’s Keith Allen
As rains and strong winds associated with the atmospheric river event lash Northern California, delays and cancellations at San Francisco International Airport continue to pile up Sunday afternoon.
At least 100 flights into or out of SFO have been canceled as of noon local time (3 p.m. ET), according to the tracking websiteFlightAware.
And at least 143 flights into and 122 flights out of the airport have been delayed, the website notes.
Weather impacts California NASCAR and PGA golf events
From CNN's Jacob Lev and Wayne Sterling
The incoming severe weather has forced schedule changes for both NASCAR and the PGA, both of which had scheduled events in California over the weekend.
On Saturday, NASCAR announced it wouldmove the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from Sunday to Saturday night due to "unprecedented severe weather." The auto racing body urged fans to "make decisions in the best interest of safety," and fans who attended the last-minute event that evening were able to enter for free.
And on Sunday, the PGA Tour announced that it would postpone the final round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament, originally scheduled for Sunday.
Monday's tee times are scheduled for 8 a.m. to 10:25 a.m. local time (11 a.m. to 1:25 p.m. ET).In the PGA Tour's news release, the organization's chief referee Gary Young cited high winds and heavy rain, which could pose safety concerns for players and spectators.
Evacuation order issued for parts of the Shadow Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles
From CNN's Antoinette Radford
The Los Angeles Fire Department has told residents living in parts of Shadow Hills, a community in the San Fernando Valley, to evacuate immediately due to the risk of dangerous landslides caused by the heavy rain expected in the area through Tuesday.
The evacuation order is in place for the La Tuna Canyon Road area, with borders of Horse Haven Street to the north, Martindale Avenue to the east, Penrose Street to the south and Ledge Avenue to the west. LAFD shared a map of the evacuation area.
Authorities have set up an evacuation center for people and pets at the Sunland Senior Citizen Center and Lake View Terrace Recreation Center.
They are encouraging people to evacuate large animals to the Hansen Dam Horse Park and LA Equestrian Center — Shadow Hills is known for its horse stables and riding clubs.
"Debris flows can bring water, mud, boulders, and other debris that can cover cars and houses. Pack all people and pets into your vehicle and leave the area immediately," the LAFD statement said.
Debris flowsare fast-moving, potentially deadly landslides, according to the National Weather Service.
Millions of sandbags prepared as some 2 million Californians brace for the severe weather
From CNN’s Sara Smart
Nearly two million Californians are expected to be in the path of heavy rainfall and severe weather in the coming days, officials say.
More than 8,500 members of multiple agencies have been mobilized to respond to any emergencies, the director of California's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Nancy Ward, said Saturday. This includes members of the National Guard, Cal OES, Cal Fire and more.
More than seven million sandbags are ready, and plenty of rescue equipment is prepped, Ward said in anews conference on Saturday.
Parts of the central and southern coastline of the state are expected to see the most significant amounts of rain and flooding, according to Eric Schoening with the National Weather Service. This includes the Los Angeles and San Diego metro areas.
“This damaging flooding will be a threat to lives and property,” Schoening said.
The worst of the storm will be between Sunday and Tuesday, according to the NWS.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has activated the State Operations Center, which will be open 24 hours a day, according to Ward.
