The final round in a three-week siege of deadly winter storms is expected to depart the Bay Area by Monday evening, capping a devastating run of atmospheric rivers that caused flooding and mudslides across California, filled once-parched reservoirs and pounded the Sierra Nevada with heaps of snow.
The storm likely will mark the final major blast of precipitation for the foreseeable future, offering the region a chance to recover from deluges that have killed at least 19 people across California since late December.
Still, meteorologists warned residents to remain vigilant a little while longer as flooding risks will remain until Monday due to extremely waterlogged soils.
“The ground is still saturated,” said Colby Goatley, a National Weather Service meteorologist. “There’s still going to be plenty of chance for runoff and localized flooding. We just want everyone to keep paying attention.
“But hopefully,” he added, “this is the light at the end of the tunnel.”
A large section of eroded hillside along Faircliff Street on Sunday, January 15, 2023, in Hayward, Calif. A Saturday afternoon mudslide rendered at least one home uninhabitable. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) A barbecue crushed by the wall of a home along Faircliff Street on Sunday, January 15, 2023, in Hayward, Calif. A Saturday afternoon mudslide rendered the residence uninhabitable. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) Clouds rise behind a farm near the flooded Salinas River during a brief in a storm close to Chualar, California, on January 14, 2023. (Photo by David McNew/AFP via Getty Images) A truck drives along a muddy street in Felton, California, on January 14, 2023 as a series of atmospheric river storms continues to cause widespread destruction across the state. (Photo by David McNew/AFP via Getty Images) Residents clean up their muddy neighborhood in Felton, California, as a series of atmospheric river storms continues to cause widespread destruction across the state. (Photo by David McNew/AFP via Getty Images) A utility pole lays in floodwaters after the Salinas River overflowed its banks on January 13, 2023 in Salinas, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Salinas River overflow floods an agricultural field on January 13, 2023 in Salinas, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) People walk on Rio Del Mar beach, covered with storm debris, in Aptos, California on January 12, 2023. (Photo by Nic Coury/AFP via Getty Images) Sandbags line a driveway in Spreckels, California, on January 12, 2023. (Photo by Nic Coury/AFP via Getty Images) Salinas River floodwaters submerge a truck near Chualar, California, on January 12, 2023. (Photo by Nic Coury/AFP via Getty Images) Floodwaters covering an orchard reflect trees on January 11, 2023 in Planada, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Kelly Slate packs a mirror in the back of a truck after her home was flooded on January 11, 2023 in Planada, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Driftwood and storm detritus wash up in front of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk amusement park on January 11, 2023 in Santa Cruz, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) A person bicycles with a dog past a tree which toppled during recent storms on January 11, 2023 in Santa Cruz, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Floodwaters submerge parked vehicles on January 11, 2023 in Planada, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Arborists cut up a tree that was taken down by high winds on January 10, 2023 in San Rafael, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Gulls fly above above a storm-damaged pier on January 10, 2023 in Capitola, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Cars drive through a flooded roadway in Planada, California, as an atmospheric river continues soaking the Golden State on January 10, 2023. (Photo by Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) Two cars plunged into a large sinkhole that opened during a day of relentless rain on January 10, 2023 in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images) Floodwaters submerge a home in Gilroy, California, on January 09, 2023. (Photo by Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) Floodwaters run through Felton, California on January 9, 2023. (Photo by Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)
