NorCal Storm Updates: I-80 flooding delays, Biden OKs Calif. emergency, 2 die after trees

Tens of thousands of people across Northern California are dealing with continued power outages on Monday, as heavy rain and strong winds caused issues on roadways but spared the region from widespread devastation. KCRA 3’s weather team is calling Monday an Alert Day because of heavy rain and wind in the morning hours. There were reports of spinouts across the region, and flooding brought traffic to a standstill westbound on Interstate 80 and northbound on the Capital City Freeway near the split.(Video above: Watch live storm coverage at noon.)| Click here for the latest forecast | Click here for sandbag locations | Click here for school closure information | Click here for interactive radar | Click here for a real-time traffic map | Clear here for Caltrans road conditionsMeteorologist Tamara Berg said that winds gusted below 50 mph in the morning. That’s below the 60 mph winds that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of Californians over the weekend. Monday morning’s storm is also producing less rain than was earlier forecast, which is lessening fears of more impactful flooding. Still, many school districts across the region and some individual schools facing power outages have canceled classes for Monday.In Sacramento County, two people who died after trees fell on their tents during weekend storms were identified. Also in the county, residents in the Wilton area, which flooded from the New Year’s Eve storm, were ordered to evacuate ahead of the storm’s arrival. In El Dorado County, an evacuation warning was issued due to possible flooding for people living in the areas of Highway 50 and White Hall and Highway 49, and Union Mine Road to the Amador / El Dorado County border. There is also an evacuation warning in place in Vacaville for people living along Alamo Creek. In Modesto, evacuation warnings are in place along the Dry Creek area, specifically along Edgebrook and Scenic drives, the area near Brookway Park and areas along south 7th and 9th streetsStanislaus County also issued a State of Emergency on Monday due to high amounts of flooding across the area. Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday evening sent a formal request to President Joe Biden to declare an emergency, which would allow for more resources for storm preparation and relief. Biden approved that request on Monday. SMUD’s outage map showed 23,886 customers affected by the outages in the Sacramento area as of Monday at 3:43 p.m. The numbers have been declining since an overnight high of 50,000 during peak wind gusts. At the peak of early Sunday’s outage, 345,000 customers were without power. In all, more than 40,000 people across KCRA 3’s coverage area dealing with outages Monday at 3:45 p.m., a number that keeps ticking downward, according to a state map. See SMUD’s outage map here See PG&E’s outage map hereSee all California outages hereHere are the latest storm updates. 3:55 p.m.: Oak Park Community Center, Pannell Community Center, Coloma Community Center and 28th and B Skate Park in Sacramento are closed due to current weather conditions.3:36 p.m.: The Sacramento Zoo will be closed through Tuesday as the team cleans up storm damage.2:46 p.m.: An evacuation order was issued specifically to residents of the commercial trailer park Lovey’s Landing.2:33 p.m.: Rippey Road in Loomis is closed as crews work to remove a fallen tree on the roadway.2:08 p.m.: Del Puerto Canyon Road is temporarily closed to nonresidents due to flooding.1:52 p.m.: Central Valley officials are holding a press conference today at 2 p.m. Watch LIVE in the video player above. 1:50 p.m.: Stanislaus County declares State of Emergency due to “high amounts of flooding.1:27 p.m.: Firefighters responded to Reed Ave near Dry Creek Road in Placer County for a tree into a structure. No one was hurt and the structure was unoccupied.1:03 p.m: Today’s wind gusts were well below those from Sunday. 12:52 p.m.: A flooded part of Highway 113 in Yolo County has reopened. 12:35 p.m.: KCRA 3’s Brittany Hope is reporting from Wilton today, which is under an evacuation order.”We feel that we’re ready for what’s coming,” said Leland Schneider, a landowner and board member with Reclamation District 800. The district has been working to shore up privately owned levees. Schneider called for people to obey road closures and said “evacuation orders out here are serious.” 12:05 p.m.: Here’s an update on rain totals in the region. Meteorologist Heather Waldman has also updated the forecast. 11:42 a.m.: I-80 is back open, where flooding has caused issues all morning. 11:34 p.m.: Rio Vista lists these road closures.11:32 p.m.: Placer County has an update on a flooded roadway in Lincoln. 11:21 a.m.: Highway 113 in Yolo County near Knights Landing is closed “due to weather” in both directions between county roads 102 and 14, Caltrans said. 11:19 a.m.: The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office said power has been shut off for the Lovey’s Landing trailer park because of flooding. The park is on the river side of the Sacramento River levee.10:50 a.m.: Two people who were killed in storm-related deaths in Sacramento County were identified by the coroner’s office on Monday.Both were unhoused and were found with trees on top of their tents, officials said.Rebekah Rohde, 40, died Saturday on North 5 Street, south of the American River, county officials said.The second victim died Sunday and was identified as 61-year-old Steven Sorensen. Officials said he died on Roseville Road near Tri Stations Road in North Highlands.10:35 a.m.: Westbound I-80 has been closed, where the roadway is flooded. 9:59 a.m.: Here’s an update on evacuation centers in Sacramento County.9:08 a.m: An evacuation warning has been issued for an area of Vacaville along Alamo Creek on Monday morning following concerns about rising water levels. The warning includes residents on Tulare Drive at Marshall Road to the North and Alamo Drive to the South, and Peabody Road to the west. Read more.8:22 a.m.: Classes at Joseph Sims Elementary School in Elk Grove are canceled today due to a power outages, the district announced. 7:52 a.m.: KCRA 3’s Brian Hickey reports that Sacramento County roadway flooding on I-80 is delaying traffic westbound for those approaching the split. The flooding is at Longview Drive. There’s also flooding for people traveling northbound on the Capital City freeway around Fulton Avenue. 7:38 a.m.: KCRA 3’s Erin Heft saw cars trying to drive through downed power lines, which emergency officials warn against. 7:37 am.: There is an avalanche warning for the Sierra. 7:31 a.m.: Here are some more school closures:Sacramento Waldorf School in Fair Oaks is closed due to weather and downed trees. Christian Brothers High School cancels school for Monday.Golden Hills School in El Dorado Hills.Suisun Valley K-8 is closed due to flooding.6:48 a.m.: KCRA’s Leticia Ordaz and Erin Heft reported on trees blocking roadways in Fair Oaks and south Sacramento. 6:45 a.m.: Here’s a look at the latest SMUD outage numbers. 6:21 a.m.: Here’s another look at peak wind gusts so far. More coverage since 5 a.m.:6:12 a.m.: All Amador County Unified School District schools are closed. Track more closures here. 6:07 a.m.: There’s a new evacuation shelter open in Sacramento County.The county has partnered with the city of Sacramento for a shelter at James Marshall Park at 915 27th Street for those who need shelter from the storm. Pets are accepted. See more emergency info for Sac County here. 6:01 a.m.: Lodi Unified School District is closing some schools due to power outages. They are:Dorothy MahinLive Oak ElementaryMorada MiddleTurner AcademyMiddle College High is also closed due to San Joaquin College’s closure. 5:40 a.m.: Here’s a look at PG&E outages across the region.5:32 a.m.: SMUD outages are ticking up again. About 48,000 customers are without power. 5:02 a.m.: Here’s a look at levels at the latest river level forecast for the Cosumnes River and Tuolumne River.As of Monday morning, the Cosumnes River is forecast to crest Monday night at 12.7 feet, 3.5 feet below the level we had on New Year’s Eve.The Tuolumne River is now forecast to reach just below flood stage.4:43 a.m.: SMUD’s outage map shows 40,000 customers without power in the Sacramento area. That’s down from 50,000 two hours ago.4:35 a.m.: We’re in the peak wind gust period but so far gusts have been below 50 mph. 4:11 a.m.: President Joe Biden has approved California’s state of emergency declaration. This will provide more federal assistance for state, tribal and local storm response efforts. 4:10 a.m.: Our weather team says rain is manageable so far and wind gusts aren’t as strong as those late Saturday into Sunday. Monday: 3:21 a.m.: These are the following schools and school districts that will be closed on Monday:Sacramento City Unified School DistrictStockton Unified School DistrictSan Joaquin Delta CollegeGalt Joint Union Elementary School DistrictGalt Joint Union High School DistrictCosumnes River ElementaryC.W. Dillard Elementary SchoolRiver Delta Unified School District (will also be closed Tuesday)Delta Community CollegeJesuit High School Sunday: 11 p.m.: KCRA 3 Reporter Orko Manna spoke with residents in Wilton, the area county officials ordered to evacuate.Resident Zachery Shay is choosing to stay despite evacuation orders.”We’ve been through this probably 10 times in my life,” Shay said. “I’m 28 years old, and it’s not a big deal; we’re used to it.”Mary Alice Campfield is also not evacuating. She has lived in Wilton since the 1980s and has worked at the Wilton Store for 17 years.”The river may hit the road, but it’s not going to affect me, or here. We’re at a high flag round here,” Campfield said. “If you’ve lived here long enough, it’s eh.”10:46 p.m.: As of this writing, there are about 45,000 SMUD customers and about 48,000 PG&E customers without power.10:42 p.m.: The Hart Senior Center on 915 27th St. was opened up as an evacuation center for those seeking shelter from the storm.10:05 p.m.: Jesuit High School will be closed on Monday ahead of the storm.9:51 p.m.: The Sacramento City Unified School District announced it is closing all schools on Monday, citing weather concerns.9:45 p.m.: The Galt Joint Union Elementary School District will be closed on Monday and is recommending residents shelter in place or follow evacuation orders in their area.The Galt Joint Union High School District will also be closed Monday, explaining that some of its campuses have property damaged from the storms.9:21 p.m.: The National Weather Service in Sacramento issued a flood warning for the Cosumnes River at Michigan Bar. It expects the river to rise significantly from the coming storm.8:40 p.m.: San Joaquin Delta College announced it will close campus on Monday because of weather conditions.8:24 p.m.: The Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks announced it is closing all of its parks on Monday.7:11 p.m.: Rio Vista High School announced that all River Delta Unified School District schools will be closed both Monday and Tuesday.6:55 p.m.: The Elk Grove Unified School District said it is closing Cosumnes River Elementary and C.W. Dillard Elementary School on Monday due to the weather. All other schools will remain open.6:22 p.m.: Residents in the Wilton area of Sacramento County are told to evacuate immediately while roads are still passable. The Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services said “flooding is imminent.”Wilton flooded during the New Year’s Eve storm. The road boundaries for the Wilton area evacuation order are as follows: Northbound: Jackson Road/Highway 16 Eastbound: Grant Line Road, south to Bond Road, south to Highway 99 Southbound: Arno Road, west to Alta Mesa Road, south to Twin Cities Road, west to Clay Station Road Westbound: Clay Station Road, north about 4 miles, then northwest to Jackson Road/Highway 16Officials established an evacuation center at the Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation on 9040 High Tech Court in Elk Grove. You can see a boundary map for evacuations here.6:13 p.m.: The Stockton Unified School District announced it is canceling classes on Monday due to weather conditions.4:17 p.m.: KCRA 3 Reporter Michelle Bandur spotted downed trees near and in Southside Park in downtown Sacramento.4:06 p.m.: The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation warning to residents at the Lovey’s Landing RV Park.4:03 p.m.: SMUD said it has restored power to more than 287,000 customers. Its outage map shows that about 63,000 customers are still without power.4 p.m.: Cal OES Director Nancy Ward said PG&E has brought in out-of-state resources to help the utility with restoring power and repairs. 3:45 p.m.: KCRA 3 Reporter Orko Manna spotted downed trees on 17th and N streets in midtown Sacramento.3:30 p.m.: State officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, speak on the preparation ahead of Monday’s storm.3:29 p.m.: Crews in Fair Oaks are working to lift a tree that fell on a home.2:52 p.m.: LiveCopter 3 went up to survey storm damage.2:09 p.m.: The California Office of Emergency Services announced the state is requesting President Joe Biden to sign an emergency declaration that would allow for more resources in handling the storm and its aftermath.1:32 p.m.: The press conference with California officials is at 2:45 p.m.12 p.m.: SMUD says the fastest way to report an outage is on their website. 11:47 a.m.: Here’s an update from Placer County. 11:45 a.m.: Capt. Keith Wade with the Sacramento Fire Department joined KCRA 3 to talk about storm safety. Here’s what else to know about the storm response in Sacramento County. 11:40 a.m.: SMUD continues to make progress on power outages. Their map shows 226,000 customers still without power. 11:06 a.m.: All city parks and fields are closed in Davis. 10:53: Here’s an update on Sierra chain controls. 10:49 a.m.: KCRA 3’s Lysée Mitri came across a tree that fell on a home in East Sacramento. Ashley Zavala saw a tree that took out multiple cars and damaged a business in midtown. 10:01 a.m.: Here’s an update on parks that are closed in Sacramento County. 9:27 a.m.: Sacramento County officials issued an evacuation warning for people in the Wilton area to leave now ahead of more severe weather. “Rising water may spill over onto the nearest roadways and cut off access to leave the area,” the Office of Emergency Services said. “Last weekend, exit routes flooded quickly for residents leaving Wilton, so we are urging residents to get out now while roads are still clear; don’t wait for an evacuation order.”An evacuation center has been set up at the Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation, 9040 High Tech Ct in Elk Grove.Read more here. 10 a.m.: The National Weather Service reminds people not to drive through flooded roads. 9:16 a.m.: Here’s a look at the hail that fell in Citrus Heights and Granite Bay earlier this morning. 9:14 a.m.: KCRA 3 photojournalist Andrew Faulk saw a power line on fire on the Garden Highway. 9:04 a.m.: SMUD’s outage map now shows 279,000 customers with the lights out, representing more progress since 345,000 were without power overnight.9:03 a.m.: Gov. Newsom is set to talk about the severe weather at 1 p.m. in Sacramento County. We’ll stream it here. 8:11 a.m.: Eastbound I-80 is back open for those headed from Davis to Sacramento after an overturned tractor-trailer caused an earlier closure. 8:05 a.m.: SMUD says crews are “working as safely and quickly as possible” to restore power. 8:04 a.m.: KCRA 3’s Lysée Mitri reported from downtown Sacramento where a tree is blocking the roadway at Eighth and H streets. 7:58 a.m.: Here’s a look at damage at 23rd and I streets in Sacramento7:54 a.m.: Some good news for drivers on I-80 heading from Davis to Sacramento. 7:48 a.m.: Here’s a look at damage from a tree crashing into a home in midtown Sacramento. 7:41 a.m.: Rancho Cordova officials say Coloma Road is closed from Benita Drive to McGregor Drive due to a downed tree. Here’s how strong the winds gusted in Northern CaliforniaThe National Weather Service said early Sunday that winds gusted to more than 60 mph in some areas.“These are exceptionally strong winds and we’re seeing the results of that,” Verdoorn said of outages and downed trees during a late-night Facebook Live with anchor Brittany Hope.Meteorologist Eileen Javora reported that McClellan Airfield in North Highlands recorded a top gust of 68 mph, while Rancho Cordova hit 64 mph and Sacramento Executive Airport 63 mph.–KCRA 3’s Brittany Hope, Dirk Verdoorn and Danielle Wilburn contributed to this story.