SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A severe storm hit northern California on Sunday, flooding highways, knocking down trees and causing mudflows in areas burned by recent fires. Forecasters predict it will set record levels of rainfall.
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Torrential rains and strong winds accompanied the arrival of an atmospheric river, a long and wide band of moisture that comes from the Pacific Ocean and is expected to head south in the next few days. The Sacramento National Weather Service office warned of “potentially historic rains.”
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Flooding was reported in the San Francisco Bay Area, causing street closures in Berkeley and flooding the Bay Bridge toll station in Oakland. At dawn Sunday, Mount Tamalpais, slightly north of San Francisco, had recorded more than 15 centimeters (6 inches) of rain in the previous 12 hours, the weather service tweeted.
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About 150 miles (241 kilometers) to the north, the California Highway Patrol closed State Highway 70 in Butte County due to landslides within the huge area that was washed away by the Caldor fire.
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“We have already had several accidents this morning from skidding vehicles, numerous downed trees and several roads that are experiencing flooding,” the Oroville patrol office tweeted. “If you can stay home and off the beaten track today, please do so. If you are on the roads, please exercise caution ”.
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Burned areas remain a cause for concern, as bare ground cannot absorb rain as quickly, increasing the likelihood of avalanches and flash floods that could lead to trapped people.
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Intense winds are also expected, with gusts of up to 97 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour) in the windiest places in Northern California. Places above 9,000 feet (2,745 meters) above sea level in the Sierra Nevada could receive 18 inches (45 centimeters) or more from Sunday through Monday morning.
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