Marin braces as wild storm rips through the county
Torrential rain and ferocious winds tore through Marin on Tuesday, felling trees, damaging homes and prompting power outages throughout the county.
The violent “atmospheric river” system that passed through the Bay Area beginning before dawn actually packed less precipitation than the system that preceded it, said Jeff Lorber, a National Weather Service meteorologist. No major flooding was reported by midday.
In the 24-hour period ending at noon Tuesday, Mount Tamalpais received 2.05 inches of rain; San Rafael received 1.48 inches; Point Reyes Station logged 1.87 inches; Novato recorded 1.61 inches and Mill Valley received 1.5 inches of rain, the weather service said.
But the powerful storm still made its presence known, with wind gusts upending patio furniture, bringing down trees that damaged homes, and knocking out power to thousands of residents. Gusts topped out at over 70 mph, with sustained winds at higher elevations clocking in at about 60 mph, Lorber said.
Trees were reported down across the county, including in Woodacre, where one collapsed on an unoccupied property on Ivy Lane, said Bret McTigue, a battalion chief with the Marin County Fire Department. He said the department was working to contact the owner. The building was red-tagged by a county building official.
“This is a wind-and-saturation story right now,” he said. “It has definitely delivered a punch.”
A High Wind Warning is in effect until 11:00pm tonight 3/14⁰Avoid unnecessary travel⁰Use extra caution when driving⁰Stay away from downed power lines⁰Do not walk/drive through standing water⁰Houseboats should remain in port⁰Monitor https://t.co/i4ArWQgmvQ pic.twitter.com/T5o5NtvmYf
— Marin County (@maringov) March 14, 2023
Megan McFarland, a spokesperson for Pacific Gas and Electric Co., said at midday there were 90 outages impacting 6,044 customers. Crews were out in the elements, working on issues such as a pole replacement at 32 Wolfe Canyon Road in Kentfield, she said.
In San Rafael, Deputy Fire Chief Bob Sinnott said the winds wreaked havoc on power lines.
“The winds have caused trees or tree limbs to fall, in many cases affecting overhead power lines,” he said. “Fortunately, in San Rafael – at this time – there has been no or minimal damage to homes.”
Firefighters in the city also responded to two overturned trucks on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge after the trailers attached to the 18-wheelers overturned due to high winds. No one was hurt.
At about 3:15 p.m., the bridge was closed to eastbound traffic. CHP Officer Darrel Horner said there was no estimated time to reopen the lower deck of the span. Motorists were advised to use Highway 37 or the Bay Bridge as alternates.
The Golden Gate Bridge remained open in both directions.
UPDATE: I-580 eastbound from US-101 to the end of the Richmond San Rafael Bridge will be closed to all traffic at this time. Unknown ETO. Please use an alternate route. Expect heavy delays in the surrounding area. https://t.co/dPuUeVZ8Fs
— CHP Marin (@CHPMarin) March 14, 2023
At the Marin County Civic Center, power surges disrupted operations as county government workers coped with energy surges before the power went out for good at 11 a.m. At 2:30 p.m., the Board of Supervisors canceled its afternoon session.
Crews were busy in Kentfield, where the fire department called in extra help to respond to reports of trees down across the area, Fire Chief Mark Pomi said.
Flooding caused by high tide triggered delays on the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit route, causing trains to be 10 to 30 minutes late during the morning commute, spokesperson Matt Stevens said. The trains ran through the water but had to slow down through the flooded sections. Normal operations resumed as the tide receded, he said.
“We are weathering the storm well,” he said.
Lorber said a flood advisory remains in effect through 5 p.m. Tuesday. Light rain was expected through the evening with runoff and fallen trees and debris still impacting homes and roads. On Wednesday, clearer skies are expected, he said.
This story will be updated.