While not nearly as biblical as forecasted, this weekend’s California storm unleashed a good amount of rain and wind upon the Bay Area. Anywhere from 3 to five inches of rain was predicted for San Francisco, but received a reported 2.3 inches.
The city saw power lines topple, resulting in thousands without power on Sunday; trees tumble down on streets; and high-rise scaffolding topple.
Outside of San Francisco, SFO has to cancel and temporarily halt most flights; Highway 50 in the Sierras closed down; and the historic Pioneer Cabin Tree, which was hollowed out in the 1800s to let tourists to pass through, collapsed.
According to Climate Nexus, a nonprofit organization that summarizes and maps global warming in extreme weather events across the country, says that this weekend’s atmospheric river storm was due, in part, to climate change.
The California storm and resulting floods are consistent with climate change, which amplifies the risk of flooding by increasing the intensity of extreme precipitation and causing more precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow. Model projections also show that climate change may increase the intensity, frequency and duration of atmospheric river storms in the state. California's whipsaw from drought to flood mirrors the climate model projections for the state in a warming climate that forecast an increase in both drought and flooding, often alternating, over the coming years.
Here are some scenes of the storm’s wrath in San Francisco.
Collapse of scaffolding closes part of Market Street in SF https://t.co/7iM6T6gh6B pic.twitter.com/8GgM4d7iEG
— SFGate (@SFGate) January 9, 2017
Scaffolding falls from top of building on 7th & Market in #SanFrancisco @kron4news pic.twitter.com/W5IXsGlw7N
— Lydia Pantazes (@LydiaPantazes) January 8, 2017
↑ Scaffolding collapsed at Market and Seventh resulting in the temporary closure of the city’s main artery.
166 Brookdale UPDATE 2 families total of 7 displaced no injury city services Red Cross DBI SFFD assisting 0801 Hrs pic.twitter.com/QKcLYZSlp9
— San Francisco Fire (@sffdpio) January 8, 2017
↑ According to Hoodline, “[N]ear McLaren Park, two families have been displaced after a large tree fell into their homes at around 7:30am [Sunday] morning.”
@sffdpio @SF_emergency also precita Ave in bernal closed between Harrison and Folsom- downed tree across roadway pic.twitter.com/AmIJHtyo7i
— Mark Lujan (@redinmyneck) January 8, 2017
So this just happened...be careful out there, high winds and trees don't mix. #STORMWATCH #BayArea pic.twitter.com/oGrD6nqtKw
— Mark Lujan (@redinmyneck) January 8, 2017
↑ Bernal Heights
↑ Flooding in the Inner Sunset.
20TH and Valencia T-07at work pic.twitter.com/glE0V70yYI
— San Francisco Fire (@sffdpio) January 8, 2017
↑ 20th and Valencia in the Mission
Eek, tree down at Pine & Leavenworth. #castorm #sf pic.twitter.com/ZfjAQ4v4Lh
— Chelsea Hallman (@ChelseaHallman) January 8, 2017
↑ Pine and Leavenworth in the Tendernob.
SFPD rescues man trapped under tree in Golden Gate Park https://t.co/mXTxi7u4aS pic.twitter.com/jLRrWzLHYK
— SFGate (@SFGate) January 8, 2017
↑ Golden Gate Park
Flooding on SF Embarcadero, lanes closed. #ABC7now #StormWatch pic.twitter.com/eQeJ4YU0Um
— Cbarnard (@CornellBarnard) January 8, 2017
↑ Embarcadero flooded.
No more Bernal Heights Blvd today. CC @Bernalwood pic.twitter.com/VLUsg0xJsd
— Markus Spiering (@spieri) January 8, 2017
↑ Bernal Heights`