Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 12:50:48 EST
Summary: Flooding in Storm-Affected Areas of Northern, Central, and Southern California
A strong storm system, a so-called pineapple express, brought high winds and heavy rainfall to much of California late Wednesday and into Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, many counties in northern California experienced power outages and road closures due to flash flooding from heavy rainfall. The storm also brought high winds and snow accumulations to much of the Sierra Nevada. On Friday, the storm system caused flash flooding in parts of southern California. Several homes were damaged by a mud and debris flow that occurred from the Camarillo Springs burn area in Camarillo, CA.
Field crews from the USGS California Water Science Center made direct flood measurements to verify peak flows at locations with elevated streamflow across the state. Several media outlets were on-site to interview USGS hydrographers as they performed measurements at the Russian River near Guerneville, CA and Cache Creek near Yolo, CA. Many streams and rivers peaked above National Weather Service monitor and flood stage levels. Most streamflow crest-stage, reservoir, and rain gages are in good working order. The USGS gage house at Elder Creek near Paskenta, CA was damaged by a large tree that was carried in by high water. Several field crews are out today measuring peaks and flagging high-water marks for indirect measurements. Work is expected to continue for several days and into next week, as California prepares for another storm that is predicted to bring more rainfall as early as Monday.