A dangerous storm from the Pacific Ocean is pounding Northern California and the Sierra Nevada mountains, causing widespread flooding and road closures in parts of the region during the busy holiday season.
At least one person was killed after flash flooding flooded Redding, about 240 miles north of Sacramento, and police and firefighters conducted a water rescue Sunday, Redding Mayor Mike Littau said.
The mayor did not provide details on the deaths, nor did authorities say how many water rescues were carried out.
Shasta County, where Redding is located, was particularly hard hit Sunday night, with heavy rain flooding several roads, including sections of Interstate 5, officials said. A flash flood warning was issued for Redding and other parts of the county Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service.
Redding police said they were responding to “numerous calls for stranded motorists” and urged motorists to avoid flooded roads.
Several lanes of Interstate 5 in parts of Redding were submerged in water Sunday, according to photos shared on Facebook by the California Highway Patrol. Redding police also posted a photo on Instagram of a car driving on a road covered in water.
A Shasta County man posted a video of his son standing in the middle of a road where a nearby creek flooded. The man, Paul Mast, said he was on his way to a family Christmas gathering but had to turn back after part of the road was washed away by floodwaters.
Shasta County and other parts of Northern California are under flood warnings until noon Monday, and much of Central California is under flood warnings until Friday, according to the NWS.
Northern California is expected to see the heaviest rain on Monday and Tuesday, with up to 5 inches expected in the northern Sierra and up to 3 inches in coastal areas, the NWS announced Sunday.
Flash flooding is also a possibility in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, which could result in landslides, rockfalls and mudslides, the NWS warned.
Heavy snow is also forecast over the Sierra Nevada, with an additional 2 to 4 feet of snow expected, a stark contrast to the snow drought the Sierra Nevada is currently experiencing.
As of late Sunday, more than 1,000 customers were without power in Sierra County, California, with nearly a third of customers without power, according to PowerOutage.US.
The flooding threat will move south from central California to southern California by late Tuesday as another storm system begins to strengthen off the coast. Northern California is facing “another surge of heavy rainfall” during the same period, with more precipitation expected later in the week, according to the NWS.
“This rain weather pattern shows no signs of slowing down, with heavy rain possible again in many parts of California from Christmas Day through Friday,” the NWS said.
