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

[11 January 2023 13:00 · Rachel Sharp]

How to check if a road near you is unsafe in California

If you can stay home right now, you probably should, given the historic rains and flooding taking place across California.

If you need to go out, it’s always a good idea to check road conditions near you.

Caltrans, the state transit agency, has a great map that’s updated live with lane closures, California Highway Patrol incidents, and other hazard incidents.

You can look at the Caltrans QuickMap here.

[11 January 2023 13:30 · Rachel Sharp]

Search still under way for five-year-old Kyle Doan

Emergency services continue to search for missing five-year-old Kyle Doan, who was swept away by raging floodwaters near San Miguel on Monday, when his mother’s car got stuck in a creek.

The search had been called off after five hours due to the treacherous conditions which made it unsafe for first responders to continue their efforts.

It resumed on Tuesday morning during a break in the intense storms.

“The public is strongly cautioned not to conduct self-initiated searches and put themselves in harms way and become a victim requiring resources that would otherwise be used for searching,” the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

As of Wednesday morning, the boy is yet to be located.

“The search remains our top priority while weather conditions permit. We will update the public with any info regarding this search,” the sheriff’s office said.

Kyle Doan was swept away by raging floodwaters near San Miguel on Monday (San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office)

[11 January 2023 14:00 · Rachel Sharp]

Kevin Costner forced to miss Golden Globes due to floods

Kevin Costner was forced to miss the Golden Globes on Tuesday where he won best actor in a drama TV series, because of the intense flooding in California.

The Hollywood star was set to attend the star-studded Beverly Hills bash to collect the award for the TV series Yellowstone.

In an Instagram post, he said that he and his wife Christine were unable to get to the awards show because of flooding near their home in Santa Barbara.

“I’m so sorry for everyone who might have been tuning in to watch the Golden Globes. Chris and I aren’t going to be able to be there,” he said.

“Yesterday we had to pull the kids out of school in Santa Barbara. This is the second time in five years that the town freeways flooded out, and we found ourselves on the wrong side of town, and we couldn’t get back last night.

“We couldn’t even get back to the house this morning in time with the freeways closed. (There’s) nobody sadder than us that we can’t be there at the Golden Globes.”

[11 January 2023 14:30 · Rachel Sharp]

Katie Porter slammed for announcing senate bid amid storms

Rep Katie Porter has been slammed for announcing her bid for senator in the middle of California’s deadly storms.

The Democrat announced this week that she will join the race for Senator Dianne Feinstein’s seat, saying “especially in times like these, California needs a warrior in the Senate”.

A source close to Republican Rep Adam Schiff – who has also voiced interest in joining the race – slammed the timing of her announcement.

“It’s f***ing crazy that she would announce in the middle of a natural disaster,” the source told the Los Angeles Times.

Rep Ro Khanna, a Democrat who is also mulling joining the Senate race, also made a thinly-veiled dig at Ms Porter: “Right now, California is facing severe storms and floods, and my district is facing historic weather conditions. My focus is on that. In the next few months, I will make a decision.”

[11 January 2023 14:45 · Louise Boyle]

Snapshot of Wednesday’s weather

The atmospheric river deluging California will re-focus mainly across northern parts of the state on Wednesday, the National Weather Service reported.

There will be more heavy rain and mountain snow on land already water-logged by days of precipitation.

Further east, a few strong to severe storms will be possible in the mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys.

Weather systems impacting the US over the next 24 hours (NOAA/NWS)

[11 January 2023 15:00 · Rachel Sharp]

California surfers making the most of huge waves generated by ‘50-year storm’

Monster waves and torrential rains have flooded California causing significant damage to towns across the state, but many surfers have made the most of the adverse situation.

A video captured at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge last week, that is now viral, showed a group of surfers braving the wind and riding the high waves caused by a bomb cyclone, dubbed a “50-year storm” by surfing blog The Inertia.

Several visitors can also be spotted standing near the water filming and cheering them on.

Read the full story here:

[11 January 2023 15:17 · Louise Boyle]

Extreme weather leading to mudslides and debris flows

Major highways across California were closed after becoming impassable due to flash floods, mudslides and debris flows.

On Wednesday, crews were working to reopen routes as more than 10,000 people who had been evacuated from coastal areas due to the dangerous conditions were allowed to return home.

Owner Maurice Henao looks at the small boulder resting in his vehichle parked along the Pacific Coastal Highway in Malibu, California on January 10 (REUTERS)

[11 January 2023 15:30 · Rachel Sharp]

Search enters third day for five-year-old Kyle Doan who was swept away by California floodwaters

The search for a five-year-old boy is now entering its third day, after he was swept away by raging floodwaters that continue to batter the state of California.

Kyle Doan was last seen on Monday morning when he and his mother became stranded in their vehicle near San Miguel.

Read more here:

[11 January 2023 15:37 · Louise Boyle]

Fatalities from storm likely to increase, says California governor

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that the number of fatalities from the storms is likely to increase.

At least 17 people have died after wave after wave of extreme rainfall deluged the state.

A pickup truck driver and a motorcyclist were killed early on Tuesday in the San Joaquin Valley when a tree that had been struck by lightning fell on them, the Associated Press reported. Other deaths were caused by car crashes and lightning strikes.

[11 January 2023 15:58 · Louise Boyle]

US suffered 18 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2022

The United States experienced 18 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2022 – the latest battering in consecutive years of wall-to-wall catastrophes.

The absymal tally was noted in a new report by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday, and put 2022 in joint third place with 2011 and 2017 for the greatest number of disasters. Only 2021, with 20 billion-dollar disasters, and 2020, with 22 disasters, topped it.

This year’s disasters, including last month’s massive bomb cyclone, Hurricane Ian and two tornado outbreaks, resulted in the deaths of at least 474 people.