Storm Expected To Batter Bay Area With Rain, Wind, Flooding
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A new storm will bring rain, wind and possible flooding to the Bay Area on Thursday afternoon but is expected to taper off by Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Heavy rain and winds will likely hamper the afternoon commute and forecasters are calling for up to 1.5 inches of rain in the region's valley areas and up to 4 inches in the hills.
"Of the storms this season, this is the one that we're probably the most afraid of," Berkeley Public Works Superintendent Kem Loong said.
That had crews in Berkeley scrambling to clear storm drains. They use a truck that is basically a wet vacuum on steroids to remove as many leaves as possible, knowing that millions more will soon be washing down the street to plug up the drains.
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Steady southerly winds of between 15 and 30 mph will push through the Bay Area ahead of the storm, with possible gusts of up to 40 mph, according to the weather service.
The storm's main impacts will hit Thursday morning in the North Bay and will move over the entire region in the afternoon and evening. It's expected to linger through the pre-dawn hours of Friday.
Forecasters have issued flash-flood warnings for the areas burned by the Loma and Soberanes fires and say drought-weakened trees are particularly vulnerable to being downed and could result in power outages around the region.
Urban flooding is likely around the Bay Area during the storm, especially in Marin County, according to the weather service.
The storm will coincide with so-called "king tides," naturally occurring and very high tides that can contribute to flooding, especially along coastal areas and near creeks and estuaries.
"When the tides are high, what it does, it creates this head pressure at the outlets, and then water basically can't flow out as efficiently. And, that's when it starts to back up in the storm drain system. Not much you can do when that happens," Loong said.
Rafael Nunn is doing what he can outside his Concord home. The leaves create a small lake of water in the street if he doesn't remove them. And as a dedicated "do-it-yourselfer" he's modified his rake with duct tape to work even better.
"I just try to catch more leaves when I do the job, the most I can, you know?"
The high tide at the Golden Gate Bridge will arrive around noon Thursday, just as the heaviest rains are expected, according to the weather service.
