Today, the storm could cause severe flooding throughout the Central Coast, with 3 to 4 inches of rain expected in Watsonville.
Residents could see as much as 5 inches and 8 inches in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Meteorologist Brayden Murdock says the already saturated soil could mean trouble for areas hit by the January and February atmospheric river storms.
“Be prepared,” he says. “If you saw flooding in January, be prepared for flooding again from these events that are coming through.”
The Salinas and Carmel rivers will see high crests; Santa Cruz County officials say that the Pajaro River is not expected to crest.
Rainy conditions will persist throughout the weekend. On Monday, a cold front is expected to bring another inch of rain.
“It’s going to be a while before we get all this rain out of our system, and that can cause those river flooding conditions to increase,” Murdock says.
