Northern California Seeks Recovery After Being Battered by Storms

Local residents remain optimistic

Branches that have been broken by the powerful storm in San Jose, Calif., on Jan. 10, 2023. (Courtesy of Chandan Mozumder)

Across California, residents are cleaning up fallen trees and mudslides, evacuating their homes, and rescuing trapped people after the recent series of storms. The death toll from the storms has increased to 16.

Governor Gavin Newsom visited Santa Cruz County on the afternoon of Jan. 10 to survey storm damage. The governor got an update from local and state emergency officials on ongoing response and recovery efforts.

In Santa Cruz County, evacuation orders were issued for about 32,000 residents living near rain-swollen rivers and creeks. Most of these orders have been lifted as of this publication.

San Francisco Bay Area residents experienced hail, lightning, heavy rain, and fast winds while the front of the atmospheric river storm passed by.

Hail in San Francisco on the afternoon of Jan. 10. (Lear Zhou/The Epoch Times)

A PG&E lineman captured a video of a pine tree sliding with a mudslide, falling, and hitting Highway 9 in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The lineman was not hurt, but these instances make rescue work unsafe.

Trees falling or branches breaking onto power lines caused massive power outages in California, with nearly 200,000 people without power on the morning of Jan. 10, according to poweroutage.us.

Branches that have been broken by the powerful storm in San Jose, Calif., on Jan. 10, 2023. (Courtesy of Chandan Mozumder)

On Jan. 9, Sacramento residents were cleaning up and surveying the damage caused by toppled giant trees throughout the state capital. Fallen trees have crushed homes and vehicles.

Water levels in the San Lorenzo River, which winds through the Santa Cruz Mountains, peaked at nearly 24 feet above normal at 8:45 a.m. on Jan. 9, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Santa Clara County issued evacuation warnings to areas on South 101 and Bolsa Road.

Santa Clara 76 Gas Station store manager Alejandro Poot commented on the recent series of storms rolling across the state.

“A lot of rain has fallen compared to other years,” Poot told The Epoch Times. “I have been here for 25 years. It is a very strong storm. It created floods, uprooted trees—accidents, deaths, etc. But on the other hand, it has its benefits because we really need the water. I did not see any accidents, but I heard about them on the news. Business has definitely been slower these past few days as less people are working. ... These days everything has a positive side to it and also a negative side.”

Alejandro Poot, who has been a 76 Gas Station Store manager for the last 25 years, in Santa Clara, Calif., on Jan. 10, 2023. (Steve Ispas/The Epoch Times)

For two years, Sam Eng has been the manager of Donut Den, a very popular stop for early risers in Santa Clara, including truckers and construction contractors. He has also seen a decline in business as a result of the recent storms, but he feels optimistic.

“Not many people are prepared for flooding because of the drought for several years,” he told The Epoch Times. “San Jose had power outages last night, but me and my friends are happy; we need the water anyways.”

Manager Sam Eng sees business almost as usual at Donut Den in Santa Clara, Calif., on Jan. 10, 2023. (Steve Ispas/The Epoch Times)

In Southern California, all residents of Montecito, a small town next to Santa Barbara, received mandatory evacuation orders.

A 5-year-old boy was swept away by a flood, and officials declared him missing.

In Montecito, it’s been five years since mudslides from heavy rains struck newly fire-scarred slopes and canyons. Those mudslides resulted in widespread damage and killed more than 20 people.

In California, around 25,000 people in 17 regions were ordered to evacuate on Jan. 9 after torrential rains caused heightened mudslide hazards.

The Los Angeles City Fire Department responded to a traffic collision after two cars fell into a sinkhole about 15 feet deep on Jan. 10. About 50 firefighters were involved in the rescue of two people trapped in the sinkhole, according to Andrew Wordin, the Battalion Chief at the scene.

“We went with a high-angle rescue, lowered a rescuer into the side door, opened the door, secured the door, and used a harness strap to secure the first victim and lift both the rescuer and the victim out,” Wordin told The Epoch Times. “Went back in, rescued the second victim. Both [had] minor injuries and were transported to local area hospitals.”

Officials said the storms won’t be enough to officially end California’s ongoing drought, but they have helped.