Posted: 7:40 am PDT October 12, 2009 Updated: 10:48 am PDT October 13, 2009 SAN FRANCISCO -- A potent storm front, fueled by the remnants of Typhoon Melor, roared onshore early Tuesday, drenching the Bay Area with heavy rains, high winds, pounding surf, flooded roadways and numerous commute hour crashes on local highways. The National Weather Service has issued a flurry of warnings and advisories related to the storm that has brought high winds and heavy rainfall to the Bay Area Tuesday morning. Meteorologist Matt Mehle said at about 10:30 a.m. that the brunt of the storm was hitting the region. "We're in the middle of it right now," he said. Flash flood warnings have been issued for areas in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties where recent wildfires burned. An urban and small stream flood advisory is in effect until early afternoon for most of the Bay Area. "We're going to see moderate to heavy rainfall pretty much through the rest of the afternoon and into the first part of this evening," Mehle said. Rainfall totals in the past six hours have reached 3-4 inches in some spots, including Los Trancos Woods in San Mateo County, he said. High wind warnings are in effect through 11 p.m. in coastal and hilly areas, and high wind advisories have been issued for inland valleys. "The winds are steadily increasing and we've had some pretty good wind gusts," he said. The strongest gusts, about 70 mph, were recorded on Mt. Diablo and in Los Gatos, Mehle said. The California Highway Patrol issued wind advisories for motorists on the Dumbarton Bridge, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, CHP Officer Ralph Caggiano said. Meanwhile, the CHP said, flooding was creating havoc on the local roadways with more than 50 accidents reported before 7 a.m. Two left lanes of southbound U.S. Highway 101 were flooded at River Road in Sonoma County, CHP Officer Kevin Kroncke said, and all northbound lanes of Highway 101 were under standing water at Lucky Drive in Corte Madera. Southbound Highway 101 was completely flooded in the right lane near its junction with state Highway 1, just south of Mill Valley, according to the CHP. In San Francisco, nearly a foot of water forced the closure of on-ramps to Interstate Highway 280 at King and Sixth streets, Kroncke said, who added the on-ramps would remain closed until Caltrans crews manage to clear clogged storm drains in the area. The wild weather was also causing delays of up to three hours at San Francisco International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration anticipates the delays would last the entire day, airport spokesman Mike McCarron said. The high winds and driving rain have delayed arriving flights this morning, he said, which in turn causes late departures. While weather-related delays are not uncommon at SFO, McCarron said Tuesday morning's storm is "a little more severe than normal." At Oakland International Airport, spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes said the morning was off to a relatively normal start, despite the storm. "We're actually in really good shape in Oakland," she said. "No delays and no cancellations." Flights at Mineta San Jose International Airport are also on time, spokesman Rich Dressler said. An urban and small stream flood advisory had been issued by the National Weather Service for parts of Marin, Sonoma, Napa, San Francisco and San Mateo counties. "Probably about commute time it should be fairly nasty, and it should remain fairly ugly probably throughout the afternoon commute," said forecaster Diana Henderson . She added that the region would likely see 3-5 inches of rain in hilly areas and 1-3 inches of rain along the coast and in inland valleys. Meanwhile, PG&E bolstered its normal workforce to quickly respond to any reported power outages. "It's an all-hands-on-deck situation," PG&E spokesman Joe Molica. The storm lived up to its billing early Tuesday, causing power outages for thousands of the utility's customers. As of 6:30 a.m., there were about 1,790 customers without power in the East Bay and 1,520 in the South Bay, Molica said. Utility crews were also responding to the Santa Cruz Mountains, where 700 homes and businesses were without power. Roughly 180 customers in Marin County and 270 in San Mateo County were without power, Molica said. At San Francisco International Airport, officials warned travelers of up to three-hour flight delays because of the stormy conditions. The stormy weather should taper off Wednesday, and Thursday is expected to be partly cloudy, Henderson said. Copyright 2009 by KTVU.com and Bay City News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |