San Jose Residents Brace for Brunt of Wet Storm

SAN JOSE (KPIX) -- South Bay residents were ready for the rain on Sunday as they visited downtown San Jose for holiday festivities including the ice rink and Christmas in the Park but they got a little more time to stay dry as the atmospheric river storm picked up later in the day.

"Not worried, we were excited," one woman said. "We don't get much rain."

Performances in the afternoon at Christmas in the Park brought many proud parents and family members to Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Others were glad they could get some time on the ice. Park staff did have to close the rink at one point because of the rain.

"We were really bummed, it started to drizzle and, as soon as it starts to drizzle just a little bit, they shut down the ice," said Nora Bachelor, a San Jose resident.

PG&E said their crews were on the move Sunday, ready to respond to any issues related to outages. Customers were advised to look online to see there are outages near them.

"You got a couple rain drops here and there, looks like it's going to start raining here," said Johnathan Orduno, who was visiting San Jose on Sunday. "Most importantly, we need the rain right now, given that we're in a drought."

Even those who enjoyed the break from the rain in the afternoon were glad to see that a storm was coming because water levels around the state are low.

"They use very little water, showers are on just to wet themselves," Bachelor said about some of her loved ones most affected by the drought. "My mother had a beautiful garden, which she can no longer take care of right now."

Utility companies monitoring water levels said Sunday they will have updated totals on Monday. Staff were hopeful about the storm's impact in the evening as that was the period likely to bring in the most precipitation.

"More people should be out in the rain, they shouldn't be afraid of it. Just put on a rain jacket and let's go," one woman said.