Weather & Climate

Dec. 24 (UPI) — High winds, torrential rains and localized river flooding could make the Christmas holiday particularly challenging across much of Southern California.

A storm system is forecast to bring between 4 and 7 inches of rainfall to valleys and coastal areas located south of Santa Barbara County’s Point Conception on Thursday and Friday before dissipating on Saturday, KTLA reported.

Further east in San Bernardino County, heavy rainfall caused flash flooding and debris fields early Wednesday.

The potential for heavy rainfall and localized flooding caused the National Weather Service in Los Angeles-Oxnard to issue a flash flood warning for Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties from 4:02 a.m. to noon PST on Wednesday.

“Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles,” NWS forecasters said. “Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding.”

NWS forecasters also advise holiday travelers and others to be aware of their surroundings and to avoid driving on flooded roads.

“In hilly terrain, there are hundreds of low water crossings, which are potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded roads. Find an alternate route,” NWS forecasters advised.

Small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses are particularly vulnerable to flash flooding, according to the NWS. So are low-lying areas and others with poor drainage.

“Some locations that will experience flash flooding include: Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Santa Ynez, Montecito, Point Conception, Carpinteria, Solvang, Isla Vista, El Capitan State Beach, Refugio State Beach, Highway 101 through Gaviota State Park, Summerland, Rincon Point, La Conchita, Goleta, Buellton, Lake Cachuma, Highway 154 over San Marcos Pass, Santa Barbara Airport and Hope Ranch,” NWS forecasters warned.

Areas north of Point Conception are expected to get between 2 and 4 inches of rainfall in coastal and valley areas and between 4 and 7 inches in foothills and mountains through Friday.

Those south of Point Conception are expected to see heavier rainfall amounts of between 4 and 7 inches in coastal and valley areas and between 6 and 14 inches in foothills and mountains through Friday.

Heavy rainfall would become especially dangerous and destructive in local burn areas, where flooding and debris flows are more likely.

The rainfall could be accompanied by strong and gusty southeast and south winds on Wednesday and Thursday, with gusts of between 60 and 80 mph predicted across Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, in the Ventura and Los Angeles mountains and Antelope Valley.

Winds gusting to between 35 and 55 mph are predicted in other areas, and high wind warnings and wind advisories remain in effect until the storm system passes on Saturday.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (R) talks with President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 13, 2020. On Monday, Polis called on Trump to reverse his recent decision to deny the state disaster relief for recent flooding and fire damage. File Pool Photo by Doug Mills/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 22 (UPI) — Colorado lawmakers have called on President Donald Trump to reverse a recent decision denying state disaster aid requests in the wake of “life-threatening flooding and historic wildfires.”

In a statement Sunday, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced Trump had rejected the state’s requests for help and accused the president of playing “political games.” He said the state would be appealing the decision.

“Coloradans impacted by the Elk and Lee fires and the flooding in Southwestern Colorado deserve better than the political games President Trump is playing,” Polis said.

“I call on the president’s better angels, and urge him to reconsider these requests. This is about the Coloradans who need this support, and we won’t stop fighting for them to get what they deserve,” the Democratic governor added.

Polis declared a disaster emergency on Aug. 3, for the Elk Fire and added the Lee Fire three days later. He filed an executive order by the end of August as the state revealed initial damage estimates from the fires and mudslides totaled more than $27 million.

In October, Polis declared a disaster emergency to unlock $6 million in state funding for flood response and recovery in Western Colorado.

Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet said, “Trump’s decision to deny Colorado’s request for critical federal assistance is unacceptable.”

“Communities in Western Colorado are in serious need of help after the life-threatening flooding and historic wildfires earlier this year,” Bennet added. “Trump continues to use Coloradans for political games; it is malicious and obscene.”

While a president can tap additional federal assistance with a major disaster under the Stafford Act, the Trump administration has recently denied some states’ requests for aid as it works to downsize the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The White House said Monday, “there is no politicization to the president’s decisions on disaster relief.” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson explained Trump’s decision, adding that the administration sent two firefighting planes to Colorado to help fight the fires.

“The president responds to each request for federal assistance under the Stafford Act with great care and consideration,” Jackson said, “ensuring American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently by the states to supplement — not substitute, their obligation to respond to and recover from disasters.”

Dec. 20 (UPI) — A flood watch is in effect in the greater Portland area and large portions of western Oregon and southwestern Washington as rainy conditions continue.

The National Weather Service issued the flood watch on Saturday morning, which is in effect until 4 p.m. PST and follows a week of heavy rainfall, Oregon Live reported.

Local flooding is likeliest in urban areas and in locations with relatively little water drainage, and the day’s forecast calls for an 80% chance of rainfall during the morning hours.

The Sandy and Clackamas rivers are especially vulnerable to flooding, and at least one person has died as many roads in western Oregon became covered by landslides and other weather-related damage, according to OPB.

“The Clackamas River in the last 24 hours, we’ve been seeing 3 to 4 inches [of rain] and in some cases even higher amounts southeast of Estacada,” NWS meteorologist Sebastian Westerink told OPB on Friday.

“Those amounts are certainly contributing to the rapid rise of the river,” he added.

Despite the continued rainy weather, most local evacuation orders were lifted on Friday in areas along and near the Clackamas River, KATU reported.

The river set a new record when it crested at 26.25 feet during the early morning hours on Friday. The prior record was 25.52 feet in 1972.

The rainy weather likely will continue through Sunday as a cool and moist airmass covers much of the region.

Hundreds of local residents have evacuated the area, and some flood waters have started to recede but many bodies of water will remain higher than normal into Sunday, NWS forecasters said.

Some, though, took advantage of rare whitewater kayaking opportunities afforded by the week’s weather.

Many traveled to Gladstone’s High Rocks Park, where local waters were flowing at a very high rate on Friday and could continue doing so through the weekend.

Dec. 16 (UPI) — Officials are warning that conditions could worsen parts of Washington state already reeling from deadly flash flooding as a blizzard conditions approach amid evacuations and warnings of further flooding.

At least one person has been reported dead after the body of a 33-year-old male was recovered from a vehicle that was completely submerged in water at 1:30 a.m. PST on Tuesday in Snohomish County, ABC News reported.

“The vehicle left the roadway and entered a lower farmland/ditch area containing approximately 6 feet of water,” officials with Snohomish County Fire District 4 said in a prepared statement.

“Upon arrival, deputies located the vehicle in the water,” they said. “Fire rescue swimmers made contact with the vehicle and removed the driver from the car.”

The motorist had driven past road closure signs warning drivers of localized flooding and was pronounced dead at the scene after first responders attempted lifesaving treatment.

Two levees were breached as strong rainstorms passed through the Pacific Northwest in recent days. Weather conditions are now expected to take a turn for the worse.

The National Weather Service has issued wind and blizzard warnings in the same areas impacted by flash flooding.

Heavy rainfall is predicted to continue into Tuesday night before changing to snow after 1 a.m. on Wednesday.

Outdoor temperatures are expected to fall to 24 degrees, with a west wind of 28 mph creating a wind chill of between 7 and 17 degrees, according to the NWS.

Snow could be heavy at times on Wednesday and Thursday, with between 8 and 12 inches possible by Wednesday night and wind gusts of up to 49 mph on Wednesday. That’s on top of possibly between 4 and 8 inches of snowfall on Thursday and wind gusts of up to 31 mph.

Snow is expected through the next seven days, with lows in the low 20s and highs near 32 degrees.

The wind and blizzard warnings come as major flooding is possible on Wednesday morning along the Skagit River and potentially cresting on Thursday morning in Mount Vernon, the Seattle Times reported.

An estimated 2,100 residents of Pacific in the state’s King County are subject to an evacuation warning telling them to leave now due to a levee failure on the White River.

Highway 2 also could stay closed until further notice, while Highway 167 remained closed between Auburn and Kent, two small cities south of Seattle, on Tuesday morning.