California flooding: More storms forecast for weekend as experts warn heavy rain won’t fix drought

Death toll likely to rise in California as deluge and flash floods set to continue

Drone video of flooded Felton in Santa Cruz County

California is bracing for more extreme weather this weekend, when two more storms barrel into the state on Friday and over the weekend.

The National Weather Service is forecasting heavy rain and flooding in the northern parts of the state on Saturday and into early Sunday morning, urging residents late on Thursday to “stay weather aware and prepare now”.

Since the start of the year, California has been hammered by a succession of storms with northwestern and central California already soaked by between 10 and 20 inches in the last two weeks alone.

While the heavy rain has started to raise reservoir levels, experts say it will take far more to reverse the effects of years of drought.

At least 18 people have now died in incidents linked to the extreme weather with the body of a 43-year-old woman discovered in a submerged vehicle in Sonoma County on Wednesday.

Near the city of Paso Robles, five-year-old Kyle Doan, swept away in the floodwaters when he and his mother Lindsey Doan got stuck in their car, is still missing.

Kyle’s father said that his wife unbuckled their son and the pair climbed out of the sinking car when it got stuck.

“He was calm. He was trying to say, ‘Stay calm, Mom,” he said. “She was doing her best.”

Key Points

• Drenching California storms put dent in drought
• New storm map shows more heavy rainfall for California
• Death toll climbs to 18 as woman’s body found in submerged car
• Parents describe horror of losing missing 5-year-old child Kyle Doan
• California suffers 955 mudslides and flash floods in two weeks as relentless storms continue

[12 January 2023 09:00 · Josh Marcus]

EXPLAINER: Storms put California levees to the test

With multiple powerful storms continuing to bear down on California, state officials have warned that rural areas are the most at risk of flooding because the levees that protect them aren’t built to the same standards as others that shield more populated cities.

These rural levees — many of which are owned and maintained by private land owners — mostly protect farmland from flooding and pose minimal risk to most homes. But failures can cause major thoroughfares to flood, as happened on New Year’s Eve when a major highway in Sacramento County flooded and one person was killed.

Adam Beam reports.

[12 January 2023 09:30 · Stuti Mishra]

California's flooding in pictures

Residents stack sandbags around a home and along a neighborhood street in preparations for flooding from the next wave of storms (EPA)

Streets are flooded during a storm in Rio Del Mar, California (EPA)

Residents help to clear water out of a flooded back yard on Paso Honda (EPA)

Local resident Fidel Osorio rescues a dog from a flooded home in Merced, California (AFP via Getty Images)

[12 January 2023 10:00 · Josh Marcus]

ICYMI: California weather tracker: Where are extreme storms headed?

A parade of extreme storms is swamping California with heavy rain causing dangerous conditions including flash flooding and mudslides across the state.

What’s going to happen next?

Louise Boyle has the details.

[12 January 2023 10:30 · Stuti Mishra]

California flooding may bring deluge of snakes

As large parts of California are battered by incessant rainfall due to the 50-year storm, experts are warning that the aftermath of the flooding may also bring a plethora of troubles for the golden state, including a spike in snake sightings.

The extreme weather is also impacting the diverse wildlife of the state with fears rising that floodwaters could increase the sightings of dangerous snakes in some areas.

[12 January 2023 11:00 · Josh Marcus]

What’s next for the California storms?

More details from the National Weather Service below:

[12 January 2023 11:20 · Rachel Sharp]

New storm map shows more heavy rainfall for California

A new storm map has revealed how heavy rainfall is poised to bring more flooding to hard-hit California, as the death toll continues to climb.

The intense rainfall rates come in parts of northwestern and central California which have already been hammered by between 10 and 20 inches of rainfall in the last two weeks, according to the National Weather Service in an update on Wednesday evening ET.

“As anticipated, a broad fetch of Pacific moisture/IVT resulted in areas of moderate to locally heavy rainfall across the discussion area, with rain rates ramping up locally to around 0.5 inch/hr especially after around 18Z or so. This axis of lift/moisture will continue to persist across the area for at least another 4-5 hours or so, with 1-1.2 inch,” it reads.

“PW values and onshore mid-level providing lift/ascent for continued convective development. These rainfall rates are also continuing atop areas that have received 10-20+ inches of rainfall in the past 2-2.5 weeks along with widespread flood/flash flood impacts (some of which are continuing).

“The locally heavier rainfall rates could exacerbate ongoing impacts especially in/near sensitive or already flooded areas. Models (CAMs particularly) indicate that the ongoing regime should continue to produce locally heavy rainfall (and 1-2 inch totals) through 03Z or so. Thereafter, backing mid-level flow (in tandem with a deepening cyclone over northeastern Pacific Waters) will result in a northward shift of the heaviest of rainfall rates into far northwestern California and perhaps southern Oregon.”

NWS map shows more heavy rainfall for California (NWS)

[12 January 2023 11:40 · Rachel Sharp]

At least 18 people killed in the storms

At least 18 people have now died in incidents linked to the extreme weather in California, according to authorities.

Among the victims is a 43-year-old woman who was discovered in a submerged vehicle in Sonoma County on Wednesday.

In total, more lives have now been lost in the storms than in the past two years of wildfires in California.

[12 January 2023 12:00 · Rachel Sharp]

In pictures: Family releases pictures of Kyle Doan as search continues

The 5-year-old was swept away by floodwaters near San Miguel, California (Doan Family)

Search teams continue to look for the boy on day 4 (Doan Family)

Kyle Doan was last seen on Monday morning when he and his mother became stranded in their vehicle (Doan Family)

[12 January 2023 12:20 · Rachel Sharp]

Flooding arrives in the California desert

California’s famous desert resort city Palm Springs was hit by heavy winter storm flash flooding that saw at least one trapped motorist rescued from their vehicle.

The Palm Springs Fire Department carried out the swift water rescue after flooding in a desert wash in the city. A wash is an area in the desert where water once flowed or that floods during heavy rain or flash flooding.

The rescue began at around 5.45pm on Tuesday evening and took around an hour, according to officials.

Graeme Massie reports.

[12 January 2023 12:40 · Rachel Sharp]

WATCH: Major sinkhole opens up after violent storm in Orcutt, California

As an intense series of storms continues to hammer California, a major sinkhole opened up in Orcutt, California.

Watch the footage below: