At a Glance
- The search continued for a 5-year-old boy swept away by floodwaters.
- The death toll rose to at least 18.
- A helicopter carried people out of Matilija Canyon near Ojai.
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At least 31 of the state's 58 counties have been declared disaster areas, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The death toll continued to rise Wednesday from a series of recent storms in California as residents were told to remain alert for more bad weather.
At least 18 people have died in weather-related incidents since the storms started hammering the state a couple of weeks ago, according to reports tracked by The Weather Channel.
(FORECAST: What's Next For California)
Many areas remain cut off because of washed out roads or rockslides, and it could be days or weeks before those roadways are reopened.
Here are our updates from Wednesday.
(5:31 p.m. ET) 5-Year-Old Boy Still Missing
The search is ongoing for 5-year-old Kyle Doan, who was swept away in raging floodwaters Monday near San Miguel. The child and his mother were in a vehicle that became trapped in the water. The mother was rescued, but the boy was last seen in the water.
"Search efforts will continue the rest of the day and will continue tomorrow as well if warranted," a news release from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office said.
Divers and K-9 unites have been deployed from neighboring counties to assist.
(5:19 p.m. ET) Californians Told Not To Let Their Guard Down
State Office of Emergency Services spokesperson Brian Ferguson reminded residents that more bad weather on this way.
“We are not out of the woods yet,” Ferguson said in an update this afternoon. “While there’s a bit of a break today, we continue to see additional storms prepared to come onshore over the next few days.”
The risk of flooding and mudslides remains, especially along the Central Coast.
“We encourage all of you to understand the risks that could impact your community … and be prepared. If told to evacuate by local responders, please get out immediately. If you see road closures, do not attempt to drive through them.”
(2:26 p.m. ET) Debris, Mud Blocking Highway In Ojai
The California Department of Transportation shared video online that shows multiple mud and rock slides blocking State Route 22 in Ojai. The agency said its not known how long cleanup might take.
(2:07 p.m. ET) CHP Escorts Motorists Through Grimes Canyon
The California Highway Patrol is escorting vehicles through Grimes Canyon in Ventura Countay, between the cities of Fillmore and Moorpark after crews worked to clear the road of debris. Full reopening is expected soon, according to a tweet from the CHP.
(1:58 p.m. ET) Road Closures, Evacuations Remain In Monterey Area
Several roads are closed due to ongoing evacuation orders in the Pajaro area of Monterey County.
"Residents are reminded that they cannot return home until evacuation orders are lifted," the Monterey County Sheriff's Office said in an update.
(1:48 p.m. ET) California Storm Siege A Stunning Reversal From Recent Winters
The recent siege of California storms has dumped more rain in parts of the state than in entire recent years in what has been a rather stunning turn of events in the drought-stricken area, according to an article from weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman.
At least five separate rounds of rain and mountain snow have drenched the Golden State since the day after Christmas. The resulting rainfall totals from these storms have been staggering and produced damaging flooding and mudslides
For example, downtown San Francisco has picked up over 12 inches of rain from Dec. 26 through Jan. 9. That's the city's wettest 15-day stretch in over 156 years, according to Bay Area meteorologist Jan Null.
It's over half their average annual rainfall (22.89 inches), and also more rain than during the 12-month water years in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
Click here to read the full article.
(11:53 a.m. ET) Storms Bring Feet Of Snow
Almost 16 feet of snow has fallen at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort since Dec. 26. The slopes reopen today after being closed yesterday, but extensive avalanche mitigation operations continue.
"Work continues around the clock to dig out and safely re-open," a Facebook post from the resort said.
"Sending a HUGE shout out to everyone who endured this storm – it was one of the bigger ones we’ve seen in a long time."
(11:21 a.m. ET) More Counties Eligible For Federal Aid
Fourteen counties have been added to the federal emergency declaration approved Sunday by President Joe Biden, according to a news release from FEMA today.
The additional counties are: Colusa, Glenn, Humboldt, Marin, Orange, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo and Yuba.
Counties are already covered were: El Dorado, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Stanislaus and Ventura.
An emergency declaration authorizes FEMA to mobilize federal personnel, equipment, supplies and other resources.
(11:10 a.m. ET) When Will Californians Get A Break?
California will continue to be plagued by more Pacific storms into next week that could produce additional flooding, strong winds and feet of Sierra snow.
The stormy pattern that's gripped the state since late December has already produced over a foot of rain in some areas.
Northern California will be the epicenter for additional rains over the next day or so, but a more widespread soaking could arrive in the state by this weekend. There might also be an end in sight to the siege of storms in the not so distant future.
Click here for the full forecast from our meteorologists.
(10:56 a.m. ET) Santa Barbara Airport Reopens
Santa Barbara Airport sustained no major damage and is open for air traffic. Travelers should verify schedules with their airline.
(10:43 a.m. ET) Power Outages Drop
About 50,000 power outages remain across California, according to PowerOutage.us. Almost half of those are in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. That's down from a high of more than 200,000 yesterday afternoon.
(6:58 a.m. ET) Interstate 80 Closed To Big Rigs
Snow is also causing problems in California. Interstate 80 in the Sierra Nevada was closed for hours Tuesday.
It reopened to passenger vehicles with chains about 1:20 a.m. PST Wednesday, according to Caltrans, but it remained closed to semitractor trailers westbound from the Nevada state line and eastbound from Colfax.
(6:45 a.m. ET) A Redwood Forest Is A Dangerous Place
The National Park Service is warning visitors to stay away from California's redwood forests during the storms.
"Be safe - Don’t be in a redwood forest during a storm. Today is one of those days. Strong winds will knock down giant trees," a tweet from the Redwood National and State Parks says.
(6 a.m. ET) Helicopter Lifts Residents From Cut Off Canyon
Mudslides and debris cut off the only road through Matilija Canyon near Ojai, about 70 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
The canyon was the site of the 2017 Thomas Fire, which left the hillsides stripped of vegetation. As the rain fell, mudflows dragged sheds, gazebos and outbuildings into the creek, resident Brian Briggs told the Associated Press. One house was buried.
“We’re all stuck out here,” Brian Briggs said.
Tuesday afternoon, six or so residents were flown out of the canyon by a Ventura County sheriff’s helicopter.
“We sent a team up there to contact residents about noon,” Capt. Trina Newman of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department told the Ojai Valley News.
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