A significant storm is expected Tuesday and will last through
Wednesday, according to forecasters.
A significant storm is expected Tuesday and will last through Wednesday, according to forecasters.
The National Weather Service issued a warning that Central and Northern California will receive a “potent storm system” that will last almost 48 hours, with rain up to six inches and wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour.
Diane Henderson, forecaster for the National Weather Service’s Monterey station, said the weather will likely affect morning commuters today with anywhere from one to six inches of rain and winds upwards of 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts hitting 45 miles per hour.
This strong of a storm is rare for October, Henderson said. October 1981 had the highest recorded rainfall of the past 50 years, with 1.97 inches.
“We’ll be pretty much soaked,” Henderson said. Forecasters expect up to three inches of rain in the Santa Clara valley floor, with rain up to nine inches in the Santa Cruz mountains.
The National Weather Service Web site forecasted a 100 percent chance of rain tomorrow, with a high of 61 degrees and winds up to 34 miles per hour. Gusts will reach as high as 45. Tuesday night’s low is 58, and winds will decrease to as little as 15 miles per hour with gusts still reaching 40 miles per hour. Chance of rain Tuesday night will be 90 percent. The storm will have mostly passed Wednesday, with cloudy skies, likely showers and a high of 71. Wednesday night’s low is 58, and Thursday will be sunny with an expected high of 77 degrees.
The storm came across the Pacific Ocean over the past week, and collided with typhoon Melor that hit Japan, she said. The storm system picked up Melor’s energy and moisture and is bringing it to the California coast, she said.
Morgan Hill’s Public Works yard has sandbags, sand and shovels are available for businesses and residents affected by flooding. They can be picked up at 100 Edes Court. Edes is west of Monterey Road between Cosmo Lane and Tennant Avenue.
City spokesman Brian Stott said the city is just concerned about tree limbs breaking as they are about rain. Deputy Public Works Director Mori Struve said the city hasn’t trimmed the 4,000 trees lining Morgan Hill’s streets for about three years, due to budget cuts. This lack of maintenance makes them more susceptible to breaking in heavy rain and high winds, Struve said.
Santa Clara Valley Water District spokeswoman Susan Siravo looked on the bright side, saying a storm this heavy this early in the season could provide some relief to the drought plaguing the state.
“It’s encouraging to see a storm of this strength. We need a series of these kinds of storms. We certainly need more than one,” Siravo said, noting that rain is expected this weekend, too.
Siravo said that, since it’s still early in the storm season, the water district will not provide sandbags at the El Toro Fire Station this week. She said the district doesn’t anticipate overflow at any of the district’s South County creeks or streams.
Struve, too, said flooding shouldn’t be a problem in Morgan Hill as workers have cleaned the storm drains of leaves and other debris. Workers will pump water from Bisceglia Avenue under Monterey Road to Little Llagas Creek. The elevation on the short road can cause flooding without the pumping, Struve said.
Struve also said road closure signs were at the ready at Monterey and Watsonville Road, should there be flooding there.
Pete Aiello of Uesugi Farms said not to worry – while the popular pumpkin patch at 14465 Monterey Road would likely be closed Tuesday, the pumpkins themselves will be fine.
“Pumpkins are pretty durable,” Aiello said. “John Q Public buys a pumpkin and it sits on their doorstep the entire month of October and beyond. It keeps its integrity quite well. There are no weather effects unless it’s extremely hot. But cold weather and rain really doesn’t do anything.
“We worked through the weekend, across our fields as much as we could to try to harvest everything before the weather hits,” he said.
Morgan Hill Downtown Association Executive Director Jorge Briones said he would be checking the creek at Hale and Main avenues to see if it starts to fill. Morgan Hill’s downtown is in a 100-year flood zone.
“On the positive side, it’s the first rain of the year, so a lot of it’s going to soak in. But if it comes too fast it’s not going to soak in fast enough,” Briones said, citing the 50-year flood that swamped downtown in January 2008. “It happened so fast. It was really from one day of heavy rain. Everybody is concerned but we’re trying to be proactive. It’s better to be prepared than too late.”
