California storm: Evacuations, flood warnings and watches

California is getting hammered by its 10th atmopsheric river storm of the season. Conditions are changing rapidly as the storm drops heavy rain and melts some of the state’s record snowpack.

Below is a running list of flood watches, warnings and evacuation orders. However, it is advisable to check with local authorities in your community for the most up-to-date information as the storm moves through the state.

Evacuations

San Luis Obispo County: An evacuation order has been issued for Oceano residents south of the Arroyo Grande Creek Levee. An evacuation warning is in effect for areas north of the levee, as well as the area around the Oceano Lagoon. A Red Cross shelter is open at the Cal Poly Campus Crandall Gym at 1 Grand Ave.

Santa Cruz County: An evacuation order is in effect for some communities near the Pajaro and San Lorenzo rivers, as well as portions of Soquel and Paradise Park. A shelter-in-place order has been issued in Cherryvale, Glen Haven, Prescott and other neighborhoods north of Bates Creek.

Fresno County: An evacuation warning is in effect across a wide swath of the county, including areas around Pine Flat, Millerton Lake, Shaver Lake, Huntington Lake, and the Courtright and Wishon reservoirs.

Flood watches and warnings

Nearly 90 flood watches and warnings are in effect across the state, according to the National Weather Service. They include:

Urgent flash flood warnings in portions of Fresno, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Tulare and Santa Cruz counties.

Flood warnings and advisories are in effect in portions of Santa Clara, San Benito, Fresno, Madera, Kings, Alamada, Sonoma, Marin, Inyo, Tulare, Santa Crauz, San Luis Obispo, Mariposa, Merced, Tuolumne, San Mateo, Kern, Santa Barbara and Monterey.

Winter storm warnings and advisories are also in effect in several areas, including the eastern Sierra slopes and White Mountains of Inyo County; areas around Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks; portions of the Greater Lake Tahoe Area; and portions of Trinity, Mono, Lassen, Plumas, Humboldt, Siskiyou, Modoc and Del Norte Counties.

Avalanche warnings are in effect in the Greater Lake Tahoe Area, the easern Sierra Slopes of Inyo County, south central Siskiyou County and Mono County between Virginia Lakes and Bishop Creek.

River flooding

The National Weather Service is forecasting flooding for at least nine major rivers. They include:

• the Eel River at Fernbridge
• the Russian River at Hopland
• the Salinas River at Bradley and Spreckels
• the Carmel River at Robles Del Rio
• the Merced River at Stevinson
• the Cosumnes River at Michigan Bar and McConnell
• and Bear Creek at McKee Road

More than two dozen rivers and creeks have reached the “monitor stage,” indicating the potential for flooding, including locations along the Mad, Russian, Napa, Salinas, Pajaro, Sisquoc, Sacramento, Yuba, Bear, San Joaquin, Tuolumne, Carson and Mokelumne rivers.