Updating Monday . .   

Rain Train  

Southern California storms cause landslides, close highways. But end of rain in sight -- The last of a series of storms to hit Southern California is expected to finally begin moving out Monday. The region saw several bursts of rain over the last few days. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/23

Bay Area wakes up to clearer skies, but overnight storm causes havoc across region -- Part of Highway 101 near Woodside Road in Redwood City remained shut Monday morning due to a massive pothole that reportedly damaged multiple vehicles. Caltrans reported that northbound traffic was reduced to three lates at the junction of State Road 84. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/23

Bay Area storm: Overnight downpours cause damage throughout region as forecasts clear for remainder of the week -- SFO surpassed its 12-month average rain total in just four months. Austin Turner, Jakob Rodgers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/16/23

As California Storms Approach End, Flood Fears Remain -- Central California remained under a flood watch Monday as the last in a series of major storms that have battered the state since Christmas moved through, according to forecasters. Adolfo Flores in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/16/23

Water  

California reservoir levels: Charts show water supply across the state -- The Chronicle is tracking daily water storage levels at 15 of the state’s major water supply reservoirs compared with their historical averages (1991 to 2020). The storage level is shown as percentages of total storage capacity for each reservoir. The charts are updated daily at 8:00 a.m. to reflect the most recent data. The item is in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/23

Californians approved billions for new water storage. Why hasn’t it gotten built? -- In 2014, during the throes of last decade’s drought, California voters approved billions of dollars for infrastructure that would catch and store much-needed water from winter storms. The hope was to amass water in wet times and save it for dry times. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/23

Storms force California to look harder at capturing rainfall to ease drought -- After the driest three years in the state’s modern history, California suddenly has a different problem on its hands: too much water. Camille Von Kaenel Politico -- 1/16/23

Policy and Politics  

On a poverty tour of California, an advisor to the governor chronicles agony, anger and hope -- Michael Tubbs writes in his notebook and stars a word in black pen for importance: “agony.” It’s impossible to wholly describe what he has learned about Californians living in poverty during his tour across the state, but that word seems to wrap it up. Mackenzie Mays in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/23

A once-in-a-generation political fight is heating up for U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat in California -- A once-in-a-generation political battle is heating up in California as candidates begin to spar over Dianne Feinstein’s coveted Senate seat, promising reverberations that will shake up everything from our representation in the U.S. House to our local Bay Area elections. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/16/23

Smith: MLK had a dream about ending police brutality. In L.A., we’re clearly still dreaming -- For two solid hours, the rain never let up. Umbrellas collapsed. Puddles swallowed feet. Ponchos hastily pulled over Black Lives Matter hoodies billowed and leaked. Erika D. Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/23

Skelton: California has lots of catching up to do on flood management — with or without climate change -- When Leland Stanford became California’s governor in 1862, he needed a rowboat to carry him to the Capitol to be sworn in. Sacramento’s streets were flooded. In fact, much of California was. A 300-mile-long lake was created in the Central Valley from near Bakersfield to Red Bluff. At least 4,000 people were killed. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/23

Housing 

Is the Bay Area on the verge of a housing construction slowdown? -- The Bay Area, already one of the most difficult and expensive places in the nation to build new homes, is being buffeted by a turbulent economy that’s creating even more challenges for a region reeling from a housing affordability crisis. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/16/23

Most cities still falling behind affordable housing mandate, state numbers show -- Just 29 out of 538 California municipalities met their housing goals at all income levels, according to state housing figures. Jeff Collins, Nikie Johnson in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/16/23

Environment  

On Orange County beaches, proliferation of e-bikes brings battle to the boardwalk -- When Fred Levine steps off the patio of his beachfront home onto the crowded boardwalk, a roughly three-mile pathway that stretches parallel to the sand along the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, he has to remember to look both ways. “It’s like stepping onto the 405 Freeway,” he said. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/23

COVID+  

Anxiety over ‘tripledemic’ has these LAUSD parents pleading for mask mandate -- As school resumes, COVID-traumatized L.A.-area parents call for return to masking over ‘tripledemic’ fears amid surge that also includes flu and RSV. Alejandra Reyes-velarde, Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/23

Also . . .   

A fountain of youth for dogs? This S.F. startup says it’s on the way -- Every pet owner knows the heartbreaking reality: Companion animals’ lives are shorter than ours. Now, a San Francisco biotech startup is working on drugs to help dogs live longer, healthier lives. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/23

 

 

California Policy and Politics Monday  

White House declares ‘major disaster’ in California; hazardous roads plague Sierra, Bay Area -- President Biden approved California’s request for a major disaster declaration to increase federal emergency support as storms and flooding continued to flog communities across the state over the weekend. Hazardous roadways plagued several areas Sunday, with home-bound Sierra travelers warned of near-impossible conditions on some roadways and Bay Area motorists dealing with closures forced by floods and landslides. Nora Mishanec, J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/23

Orange County firefighters rescue woman trapped in rushing flood waters -- An Orange County swift water rescue team on Saturday successfully airlifted to safety a woman who was trapped and clinging to a tree in a creek bed overwhelmed by rushing waters. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/23

‘It was all ruined’: Watsonville retiree struggles to cope with flood devastation -- Sumiko Livin woke from slumber on New Year’s Eve as rain lashed her home in Watsonville. She peeked outside to find the street flooded and water creeping up her driveway, threatening her house. St. John Barned-Smith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/23

Evacuations lifted along Cosumnes; latest storm fueled tornado in Sacramento County -- An evacuation order has been lifted for the area around Wilton, but the Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services is still warning residents there as well as in Rancho Murieta, Herald and along Dillard Road to be ready to evacuate if necessary. Dominique Williams in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/16/23

California bracing for one final round of storms as officials assess damage -- Another moderate storm moved into California Sunday evening, bringing more rain to Los Angeles, the coast and inland valleys, and dropping potentially up to 2 feet of snow in the mountain regions of Northern California before it moves east on Monday. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/23

With Another Storm Arriving, Five Areas of California to Watch -- Experts have said that almost none of the storms, alone, would have been considered catastrophic, but the continual pounding has taken a toll on California’s landscape. Soil now struggling to hold water is more vulnerable to mudslides. Days of strong winds have sent trees tumbling. And the relentless precipitation has turned trickling creeks into raging waterways. Carly Olson, Ava Sasani, Luke Vander Ploeg and Julie Brown in the New York Times$ -- 1/16/23

Warm clothing, proper heating advised as freezing temperatures hit parts of L.A. County -- Lancaster, Mt. Wilson, Pomona, the Santa Clarity Valley and Woodland Hills are expected to dip under 32 degrees this week, continuing in most areas until Friday, officials said. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/23

Policy and Politics  

Walters: Scramble begins for Feinstein’s U.S. Senate seat -- Metaphorically speaking, the ink is still wet on the vote tallies from the 2022 election, but last week saw the beginning of what will be California’s highest profile political contest of 2024 – a duel for the U.S. Senate seat that Dianne Feinstein has held for three decades. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 1/16/23

Joe Biden and Kevin McCarthy, wary opponents, prepare to work together -- The California congressman has mocked Biden as senile and highlighted the addiction struggles of Biden’s son, while the president has cast McCarthy as the flag-bearer of a form of Republican extremism aimed to undermine the nation’s soul. Michael Scherer in the Washington Post$ -- 1/16/23

Homeless

‘There’s never enough.’ Surge in need for shelter, housing overwhelms Bay Area providers -- Pleas from people who were homeless or struggling to keep their housing spiked last year, according to new data from the Bay Area’s helplines — reaching a four-year high that highlights just how desperate the region’s affordable housing crisis has become. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/16/23

Street  

Family and friends of deputy OC public defender who died in Mexico are searching for answers -- Family and friends of the Orange County deputy public defender who died at a beachside resort in Mexico while celebrating his one-year wedding anniversary were still searching for answers on Sunday. Elliot Blair, 33, of Orange, was found dead after what Mexican media in Rosarito Beach said was an accidental fall from a fourth-floor balcony of the Las Rocas Resort and Spa early on Saturday, Jan. 14. Josh Cain, Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 1/16/23

Also . . .   

Here’s how wine tasting might look different in 2023 -- When John Sweazey’s staff at Sonoma’s trendsetting Anaba Wines suggested a wine and doughnut pairing, he was unconvinced. “I thought it was the dumbest idea ever,” he said. He was wrong. “It just took off like a rocket ship.” Jess Lander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/23

 

Sunday Updates  

Rain Train  

A canoe, a rope and a swimmer: Rescuing Californians stranded by recent violent storms -- The woman clung to a tree in pitch darkness. Nearby, her gray pickup was submerged in murky, brown water. She was trapped along a fair-weather bridge, a ßcauseway built over Coyote Creek just north of Ventura. The creek had overflowed and flooded the crossing after a powerful storm barreled into the area Monday. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/23

Interstate 80 reopens through Sierra Nevada after weekend closures -- All vehicles, except big rigs, can now drive between Colfax and the California-Nevada border, according to Caltrans. Trucks will be redirected back eastbound at Applegate and westbound at the state line. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/23

Flooding closes highway in Marin County -- A portion of Highway 37 in Novato was closed Sunday morning due to the roads flooding, authorities said. The California Highway Patrol tweeted at 8:16 a.m. that both directions between Highway 101 and Atherton Avenue were closed with no estimated time of reopening. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/23

Bay Area storms: Rain storm bound for California could be ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ -- The brunt of the moisture is expected to hit the Bay Area early Sunday afternoon and continue through roughly midday Monday, said Colby Goatley, a National Weather Service meteorologist. It will likely mark the final major blast of precipitation to hit the region for the foreseeable future — potentially offering the state a chance to recover from a near-unceasing line of storms that have killed at least 19 people across California since late December. Jakob Rodgers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/15/23

Storm sets new L.A. rain records. Another blast is on the way. Here’s a timeline -- Southern California will get a break in the rain for part of Sunday, but a new storm is on the way. The region was hit by intense storms on Saturday. That storm set several new rainfall records for the date, including downtown L.A. (1.82 inches), LAX (1.53 inches) and Long Beach airport (1.72 inches). Rong-Gong Lin II, Thomas Curwen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/23

S.F. has seen 20 inches of rain fall since Oct. 1 — one of wettest water years on record -- San Francisco hadn’t experienced more than 20 inches of rain in a single water year for over four decades, but the streak has finally ended. Jordan Parker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/23

Woman dies in Golden Gate Park after being hit by falling tree branch -- An elderly woman died Saturday evening after being struck by a tree branch at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, authorities said. A jogger at the park saw the woman lying next to a large tree branch and called 911 just after 5 p.m., according to San Francisco Fire Lt. Jonathan Baxter. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/23

I spent years photographing disasters. Then one hit my hometown -- Sunol, a tiny, unincorporated town of about 800 people in the East Bay, is the place my family has called home for four generations. Jessica Christian in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/23

In California, a drought turned to floods. Forecasters didn’t see it coming -- California storms prompt questions about accuracy of seasonal predictions. Dan Stillman and Diana Leonard in the Washington Post$ -- 1/15/23

Policy and Politics  

Garofoli: Barbara Lee has far less money than other California Senate candidates. Here’s why you shouldn’t count her out -- No, you weren’t going nuts. It was weird — in real-world terms — for Orange County Rep. Katie Porter to launch her U.S. Senate campaign 21 months before Election Day 2024, and just days after she was sworn in for her third term in the House. But it wasn’t weird in the political world. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/23

Workplace   

Big Tech Companies Prep for a Tough Year -- Competitors, regulators and an economic slowdown have started to make a meaningful dent in the fortunes of the largest tech companies. Sam Schechner in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/15/23

Housing 

‘There’s never enough.’ Surge in need for shelter, housing overwhelms Bay Area providers -- Pleas from people who were homeless or struggling to keep their housing spiked last year, according to new data from the Bay Area’s helplines — reaching a four-year high that highlights just how desperate the region’s affordable housing crisis has become. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/15/23

Climate  

Bottlenose dolphins have migrated to the Bay Area for the first time, adapting to the changing environment -- Bottlenose dolphins, the marine mammals best known for doing clever tricks in animal parks, have created a home in the Bay Area after previously spending their lives in Southern California and Baja, Mexico. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/23

Street  

Suspect in fatal shooting of Riverside County sheriff’s deputy is identified -- The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has identified Jesse Navarro, 42, of Lake Elsinore as the suspect in the killing of Deputy Darnell Calhoun. Dorany Pineda, Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/23

Healthcare  

‘This can only go on so long.’ Patients needing routine care pack MLK emergency department -- The rise of flu, RSV, COVID and other winter viruses has exacerbated overcrowding that existed even before the pandemic, hospital officials said — the result of stark shortages in medical care in a low-income South Los Angeles neighborhood where most residents are Black or Latino. Emily Alpert, Francine Orr in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/23

UC Health doctors want stronger protections in contracts with faith-based hospitals -- As the University of California’s health system renews contracts with hundreds of outside hospitals and clinics — many with religious affiliations — some of its doctors and faculty want stronger language to ensure that physicians can perform the treatments they deem appropriate, including abortions for women or hysterectomies for transgender patients. Annie Sciacca California Healthline in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/23

Education  

L.A. Catholic schools are growing after years of decline. But is it enough? -- But more than a year into the pandemic that upended education, Celistan, who was raised Baptist and considers herself non-religious, turned in a direction she hadn’t expected. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/23

Also . . .   

Amtrak riders use ‘bus bridge’ between Oceanside and Irvine -- The “bus bridge” between Oceanside and Irvine has been going for more than three months now, but Amtrak riders seem to be taking it in stride. It’s the only way for train passengers between San Diego and Orange counties to get around the landslide stabilization project in San Clemente, which is likely to continue another month or longer. Phil Diehl in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/23

McManus: The war in Ukraine could become a long, frozen conflict. Are we ready for that? -- According to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grand plan, this was to be the hard winter that would break Ukraine and divide its allies in the West. That hasn’t happened. Doyle McManus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/23