As of Wednesday morning, Interstate 5, the coast’s vital traffic artery, is closed in several places between Redding and Ashland. The Oregon Department of Transportation reports that I-5 is closed between milepost 11 and the California Border. The agency describes it as a long-term closure, and doesn’t specify how long the highway might be closed. Caltrans reports I-5 southbound is closed at Exit 51 just south of Yreka. I-5 northbound is closed at Exit 689 just north of Redding.
Southbound US 97 is closed just near Macdoel in Siskiyou County due to snow.
As of 9 a.m., PG&E reports power outages affecting 6,338 customers in Humboldt County.
At least 1,952 Pacific Power customers are without electricity this morning, primarily in the Klamath Basin.
The National Weather Service’s Eureka office reported high winds along the coast of Northern California. Crescent City Harbor saw 80 mph winds while Cape Mendocino was battered by winds reaching 98 mph.
As of Wednesday morning, reported damage was minimal.
“I think most people woke up sort of surprised that there wasn’t more damage,” said Troy Nicolini, meteorologist-in-charge at the Eureka Weather Forecast Office.
He said that was likely because the winds arrived before the expected high rainfall. If the rain had come before, uprooted trees would have been more likely.
The Eureka office is still collecting data but so far only a couple inches of rain has been recorded.
“The big rain is going to start coming later [Wednesday] and through the rest of the week. So the flooding concerns are yet to come,” said Nicolini.
That rain is expected through Friday night, potentially reaching 10 inches in some areas as an atmospheric river hangs over the coast.
“So sometimes you have those storms, we just get a lot of really heavy rain and it moves on, the sun breaks through. And this one’s not going to be like that,” Nicolini said.
Because of the heavy rain, the Weather Service is warning about the potential for flooding across the region. Small streams could begin to flood starting on Wednesday, and the Coquille River in Coos County could begin to flood on Thursday or Friday.
Those living in flood-prone areas should be prepared to take action, including building an emergency kit, knowing where to go in the event of an evacuation and having a communication plan in place with family and friends.
Flash flooding and debris flows from burn scars are also a concern. The lack of vegetation in recently burned areas means the ground is more susceptible to erosion and landslides. The Weather Service reports that even years-old burn scars, like the McKinney Fire in Siskiyou County, could be concerning during heavy rainfall.
