MOSCOW, December 11 (Sputnik) - A fierce storm with heavy rain and high-speed winds is expected to hit Northern California where residents are stocking up on emergency supplies and some schools are canceling classes.
Moderate rain and gusty winds began battering the area of north San Francisco late Wednesday, and heavy rain is expected overnight in the region, Miami Herald reports citing the National Weather Service.
Up to eight inches of precipitation have fallen on the coastal mountains in the 24 hours since late Wednesday.
"It's a short amount of time for that amount of water," weather service forecaster Diana Henderson said as cited by Miami Herald. "We are anticipating some localized flooding, maybe some downed trees and downed power lines. It could have an effect on a wide range of people."
Some local stores ran out of water, batteries and flashlights after residents rushed to buy emergency supplies. Some cities announced via Twitter they were left with no sandbags or sand by Wednesday evening.
Sandbag locations in CH are closed. All bags and sand has been taken. All sand & bags were taken in a 3 hr period.
— Citrus Heights PD (@citrusheightspd) 11 декабря 2014
More than two feet of snow could fall on ski resorts in the northern Sierra Nevada.
The storm is expected to later hit parts of Southern California, where it will weaken, moving east through Nevada, Idaho, Arizona and New Mexico.
As much as four inches of rain was forecasted in San Francisco. Crews cleared storm drains and removed loose rocks from a hillside to prevent them from falling down. Residents were advised to remove debris and leaves near their homes.
"We have crews working starting tonight in 12-hour shifts," said Rachel Gordon, a spokeswoman for San Francisco's public works agency. "It will be all hands on deck."
Schools in several Bay Area cities, including San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, cancelled classes for Thursday, according to Miami Herald.
Gusty winds of up to 70 mph are expected on mountain tops and could create possible blizzard conditions in the Sierra. For Southern California, rain, pounding surf and gusty winds were forecasted starting Thursday evening.
The weather service issued a high-surf advisory from the Central Coast to Ventura Country.
A series of strong weather fronts with high-speed winds and heavy rains could cause floods and landslides this week in Washington State.
The weather service expects as much as 14 inches of rain between Monday and Thursday in the Olympic Mountains west of Seattle. There is the risk of mudslides, while winds could topple trees.
High winds are also expected in Oregon.
