Bay Area highways and roads close as storm rages on
Atmospheric rivers ripping through the Bay Area are causing widespread flooding and landslides across the region. Residents are encouraged to limit their outings if they must drive and check for road closures before heading out. The National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory effective Saturday at 11:45 am. This is a developing story and will be updated with road closures.
Latest December 31st 1:22pm Evacuation orders have been issued for Felton Grove and Paradise Park in Santa Cruz County. People in this area are advised to move to higher ground for safety. Please check here for evacuation sites.
12:23 p.m. Dec. 31 Multiple landslides have been reported in San Francisco, requiring drivers to avoid certain roads. Avoid parking on O’Shaughnessy Blvd & Malta Drive, 400 blocks of Ulloa Street, and Bernal Heights Park. Follow the San Francisco Emergency Management Agency for the latest information.
The National Weather Service reported 2.96 inches of precipitation today, beating the 2005 record of 2.12 inches.
December 31st 11:27 am Highway 101 south of San Francisco is closed in both directions due to “massive flooding.” We recommend I-280 as an alternative route.
December 31st at 10:05 am The Fremont Police Department reported that Niles Canyon was closed due to a landslide. It may reopen by noon, but Caltrans is still assessing the damage. Belmont roads are flooded and motorists are encouraged to avoid Harbor Her Boulevard. Part of Ralston Avenue.
9:42 a.m. Dec. 31 I-580 is closed between Fairmont and 150th Street due to flooding. We don’t yet know when it will reopen.
Coastal flooding has closed the northbound lane of SR-35 on Sharp Park Road in Pacifica, the Pacifica Police Department reported.
Highway 9 is closed north of Big Creek, Santa Cruz County reports.
December 31, 7:57 am A section of Highway 92 has been flooded from Skyline Boulevard to Main Street at Half Moon Bay, and Cal Fire reported that section of the highway was closed Saturday morning. The reopening date is undecided.
Portions of Highway 1 were closed at multiple points due to flooding. Monterey County is closed due to falling rocks from Ragged Point to about 2.5 miles south of Big Sur, Caltrans reports. There is no prospect of reopening.
Route 84, part of Alameda County between Fremont’s Old Canyon Road and Sunol’s Main Street, was closed Friday by mudslides and rock slides. Roads reopened by 8 p.m. He Highway 9 between Waterman Gap and Upper Highway 236 in Santa Cruz County was also closed and then reopened.
The National Weather Service expects the worst storms to hit late Friday through Saturday morning. Storms bring the potential for gusty winds, cut power lines, fallen trees and landslides. With so much moisture already seeping into the soil this week, further saturation could lead to widespread landslides, especially in wildfire burn scars where there are few sturdy tree roots to hold the soil in place.
Complete Bay Area Storm Coverage
SFGATE Editor-in-Chief Katie Dowd contributed to this report. This is a developing story.