60-Foot Tree Falls In Livermore, Local Emergency Continues

LIVERMORE, CA — Livermore reported Monday that the latest storm “did not produce any significant reported damage.” The rain mostly cleared Monday afternoon.

Still, Livermore remains under a Flood Watch and Wind Warning until Tuesday at 4 p.m., and a Local Emergency under Wednesday.

On Tuesday, 0.32 inches of rain are expected to fall over four hours, and gusts are expected to reach up to 31 mph. There is also a 28 percent chance of thunderstorms, according to Accuweather. As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, a total of 1.11 inches fell in Livermore over a period of 24 hours.

City crews continue to monitor hotspots throughout the city. On Sunday, crews cleared several fallen trees, including a large eucalyptus tree (estimated to be seven feet wide and 60 feet long), blocking El Caminito near Andalucia Street.

County roads remain closed, including Marina Avenue from Wente Street to Arroyot Road, and Patterson Pass Road from Greenville Road to County Line.

A number of other streets in Alameda County remain closed, including Niles Canyon Road between Old Canyon Road and Main Street, Kilkare Road and Foothill Road. Alameda County Office of Emergency Services continued to recommend anyone who lived in the area to leave their homes Sunday. Anyone who needs information on evacuation centers can call 211 or visit acgov.org.

Livermore students returned to class Monday without major issues, according to the district. “We had a few downed trees near our district office and one elementary school, however, none that caused any damage to facilities. Minor leaks are being addressed, but other than that, we are weathering the storm well so far,” LVJUSD spokesperson Michelle Dawson said.

Other districts around the Bay Area closed, including Rohnert Park, and Pajaro Valley Unified in Watsonville. The storm hit the Central Coast particularly hard: Evacuation orders were issued in Santa Cruz County for residents living near rapidly rising rivers and creeks. The San Lorenzo River was declared at flood stage, and video on social media showed a neighborhood flooded with muddy water almost reaching to a stop sign. Officials warned mudslides and flooding were blocking roads and urged residents to stay home.

In Sonoma County, residents of the Russian River area remained on evacuation warning should the river reach flood stage this week.

In Petaluma in southern Sonoma County, a flood advisory was issued for residents of the Leisure Lake Mobile Home Park. Police said residents of the area should consider evacuating now due to road closures.

Napa County reported multiple flooded roadways Monday morning, and flooding closed state Highway 37 in Marin County.

President Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration Monday for California to support storm response and relief efforts in 16 counties including Napa, Sonoma, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Placer, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Mateo, Stanislaus and Ventura.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said 12 people died as a result of violent weather during the past 10 days, and he warned that this week’s storms could be even more dangerous. He urged people to stay home.

The first of the newest, heavier storms prompted the weather service to issue a flood watch for a large swath of Northern and Central California. Since Dec. 26, San Francisco received more than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain, while Mammoth Mountain, a popular ski area in the Eastern Sierra, got nearly 10 feet (3 meters) of snow, the National Weather Service reported.

The storms won’t be enough to officially end California’s ongoing drought, but they have helped. State Climatologist Michael Anderson said at a weekend news briefing that officials were closely monitoring Monday’s storm and another behind it and were keeping an eye on three other systems farther out in the Pacific.

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, said Californians can expect to see a break in the rain after Jan. 18.

"That is my best guess right now, which is good because it will give the rivers in Northern California, and now in Central California, a chance to come down," he said.

Sandbag stations are being replenished at several locations throughout Livermore:

• Maintenance Service Center - 3500 Robertson Park Road (limit 6 bags per household)
• Fire Station 6 - 4550 East Avenue (limit 6 bags per household)
• Fire Station 8 - 5750 Scenic Avenue (limit 6 bags per household)
• Zone 7 Water Agency - 100 North Canyons Parkway (limit 10 bags per household)

Report flooding to Water Resources at 925-960-8160, or the Livermore Police Department at 925-371-4987. Downed trees and power lines can also be reported to the police department, or to 911.

If you know of anyone experiencing homelessness, contact CityServe of the Tri-Valley 925-222-2273 (CARE), or email connect@cityservecares.org.

For a full list of closures, storm safety tips, and contact information, visit the City of Livermore’s storm update page.

To receive local emergency notifications, text your zip code to 888–777. For Alameda County notifications, sign up for AC Alerts here.

— Patch editor Maggie Fusek , The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this reportcontributed to this report.