Strongest rain from El Niño storm still to come

El Niño weather has hit the Bay Area and the worst is yet to come, according to the National Weather Service.

A storm that hit Monday night and this morning, the first in a series of three, caused problems across the Bay Area.

The storm caused an old oak tree to come down onto power lines in Mill Valley, causing power outages for about 200 PG&E customers, according to the utility.

Additionally, power equipment in Fremont was reported flooded around 8:50 a.m. today, affecting around 150 customers, PG&E officials said.

PG&E spokesman Brian Swanson said that the utility hoped to restore power to the affected areas by noon today.

The relentless rain in the North Bay created some flooding, according to California Highway Patrol.

Earlier this morning, a car also got stuck on a flooded frontage road near the Bay Bridge, CHP officials said. The car has since been moved and the people inside were able to get out safely.

According to weather service officials, Sonoma County had the most rainfall overnight, averaging between 4.5 and 5 inches, with the Santa Cruz Mountains coming in second with about 4.05 inches.

According to forecaster Bob Benjamin, there is still a significant amount of offshore activity contributing to the second storm of the series.

The Bay Area should expect to see scattered showers before the “main event” early Wednesday morning, Benjamin said.

Weather service officials predict the heaviest rainfall will occur between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Bay Area residents can check with their local jurisdictions to see if they are offering sandbags or emergency preparedness workshops.

Bay City News

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