Climate chaos in California has wreaked havoc across the state over the weekend.
Heavy rains in Fresno County prompted the evacuation of 10,000 people from their homes Saturday, flash flooding hit Monterey and Tuolumne counties, hail the size of quarters, and a series of tornado warnings were issued.
The flooding left roads and highways submerged under patches of water so deep that a man in Watsonville was filmed pulling a fish nearly two feet out of the water through stalled traffic. A family of ducks was even seen floating along Interstate 580 in Oakland.
Along the Salinas River near Monterey County, a man in his car was swept away by raging waters and trapped on a piece of land in the deluge. Dramatic footage showed him stranded and isolated before being rescued by helicopter.
To the north, heavy snowfall continued to bury the state, with dozens of communities without power and forced to dig their way out of the pileup.
A man stranded on land in the flooded Salinas River. He was rescued by helicopter.
Dangerously precipitous flooding on the Tule River in California on March 10
Record snowfall continued across the state. Above, snow cloud blown on March 11
The storms marked the state’s 10th atmospheric river to devastate the state this winter.
Although Sunday brought a respite of light rain to parts of the state, forecasts call for more calamities as another atmospheric river is forecast to hit this week.
“It’s hard to say we have another one on the way,” Fox Weather Jane Miner said. “We will see a short break as your day progresses on Sunday as scattered showers continue to rotate in the northern tier of (California).”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned heavy rain Monday, creating flood risks from San Francisco to Sacramento.
By Tuesday, the rains will head south, creating flood hazards in swaths of central California.
“The rains are expected to bring another significant flood threat to elevations below 5,000 feet in northern and central California,” FOX Weather predicted. “Forecast models show between one and three inches of rain for many communities, with some spots, especially along the coast and the foothills possibly receiving more.”
That storm is expected to last through Wednesday.
Helicopter crews lift a man who was swept away by floodwaters in the Salinas River
California Interstate 580 in Oakland flooded from heavy rains Friday morning
Ducks can be seen swimming in the flood waters on Interstate 580 in Oakland
A flooded parking lot in Springville, California, on March 11.
A playground submerged in water on March 10 in Kernville, California.
That storm could bring even more snow to already flooded higher mountains and more flooding to lower elevations.
“We will see additional rounds of rain and heavy snow in the mountains across much of northern and central California throughout the week,” National Weather Service meteorologist David Lawrence said.
“This is the craziest storm I’ve ever seen,” said Blake Heauser of the mountain community of Grass Valley. The Guardian. “It was relentless, it just kept snowing and snowing and snowing.”
“And we’re also likely to see this weather pattern continue as we move into the first half of next week.”
One to three inches of rain is forecast for coastal areas and valleys, KTLA reports, while mountain and foothill communities can see three to six inches.
Crews at the 95th Academy Awards battled Sunday to clean up water seeping from the roof of the Dolby Theater before celebrities arrived on the new champagne-colored carpet after weeks of devastating storms.
Water could be seen Sunday afternoon trickling through the red curtains that serve as the ceiling for the dazzling event and onto the carpet where actors, directors and producers will soon pose for photos.
Members of the Academy’s drip control team tried to alleviate puddles forming on the red curtains with giant poles. ABC 7 informs, before placing buckets to collect the drip. Fortunately, the champagne carpet was covered before the event.
A house along the Tule River covered in floodwaters and mud from a flash flood
Cars lost due to flooding in California. The state was devastated by rains last week
Handfuls of coin-sized hail fell in parts of California over the weekend
Giant hailstones that fell on California during the strong storms of the weekend
First responders and the California National Guard rescued more than 50 people over the weekend. A video showed a member of the Guard helping a driver out of a car trapped in waist-deep water.
In Tulare County, the sheriff ordered residents living near the Tule River to evacuate, while people living near Poso Creek in Kern County were under an evacuation warning.
Meteorologists from the National Weather Service issued flood warnings and advisories, pleading with motorists to stay off flooded roads.
In San Francisco, an 85-foot Eucalyptus tree fell on the Trocadero Club House early Saturday morning. The 1892 clubhouse, a San Francisco historical landmark, was severely damaged, with part of the roof crushed and the interior flooded.
Governor Gavin Newsom has declared emergencies in 34 counties in recent weeks, and the Biden administration approved a presidential disaster declaration for some on Friday morning, a move that will bring more federal assistance.
In California’s higher elevations, massive amounts of snow continued to fall
People dwarfed by snowdrifts in California after record snowfall in recent days
A window obscured by snowfall in California on March 11 after record snowfall
A statue of the Oscars covered to protect from the rain before the ceremony on Sunday