San Jose city officials Saturday declared a local emergency over flooding expected early Sunday morning, with concerns focused on the Guadalupe River and homeless people, but neighborhoods are also at risk.
“We may see flooding in some areas along the Guadalupe and potentially other waterways,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said Saturday night at an outdoor press conference in the rain. “If you live along the Guadalupe River in particular it’s possible you’ll have some street-level flooding.”
Torrential rainfall expected to hit the Santa Cruz Mountains will fill creeks that feed into the Guadalupe River and likely push it into flood stage as early as 5 a.m. Sunday, with the river surging to a peak height around 10 a.m., San Jose officials said.
The National Weather Service originally forecast the Guadalupe River to reach “moderate” flood stage, about two feet above the level considered a flood.
By 8 a.m. Sunday, the river was running below forecasted levels, and was only expected to reach minor flood stage.
Further rain is expected into the afternoon, and high winds and toppling trees knocked out power to nearly 150,000 customers across PG&E’s Northern California service area as of 10:57 am Sunday.
The National Weather Service said on Twitter/X Sunday morning that “very dangerous winds are expected today” with widespread gusts of 45 to 60 mph with some wind speeds reaching 70 to 80 mph near Big Sur and in the Santa Cruz Mountains and hills above Santa Clara County.
The weather service reported 70 mph or higher gusts on numerous Bay Area and Monterey County peaks, including Mt. Umunhum, which recorded windspeeds as high as 81 mph.
In Monterey County, evacuations were ordered for residents along parts of the Carmel River and in a Salinas neighborhood. Officials told spectators to stay away Sunday and moved the last day of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to Monday.
The atmospheric river storm causing problems in the Bay Area is expected to cause significant damage in Central and Southern California.
In anticipation of the statewide impact, Gov. Gavin Newsom mobilized more than 8,500 emergency operations staff from California’s policing, fire and transportation agencies, as well as the National Guard, according to Nancy Ward, director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Besides 7 million sandbags, Ward said swift-water rescue teams, high-water vehicles, sheltering supplies for almost 40,000 people — such as food, cots, blankets and water — and other emergency response resources are pre-positioned.
In San Jose, most at risk of flooding is the area around West Alma Avenue and the Guadalupe River, including the San Jose Elks Lodge, northward along Lelong Street to the intersection with the Guadalupe Parkway off-ramp, and neighborhoods around Minnesota Avenue, Belmont Avenue and Belmont Way, according to the Santa Clara Valley Water District. Also in potential jeopardy are the Northern Cross neighborhood and Thousand Oaks Park, both beside the Guadalupe River, but flooding in those areas is less likely, said Santa Clara Valley Water District spokesman Matt Keller.
San Jose’s emergency order allows city officials to evacuate unhoused people from areas at risk of flooding, and if needed, to request aid from outside agencies, Mahan said.
An advisory from the city said homeless people living beside the Guadalupe River would be ordered to leave, and the city would offer them free rides to a downtown warming center. Another warming center would be on standby if more space is needed, Mahan said.
Valley Water crews would be sent out at 4 a.m. Sunday to clear debris from the Guadalupe and other waterways in the city “to make sure there’s no debris that could end up stopping the flow of water,” Keller said.
City staff will canvas neighborhoods in flood-prone areas, officials said. Flooded streets could affect parked cars, officials noted.
Strong winds are expected to start early Sunday morning and continue into late Sunday evening, and could blow down trees and power poles, as well as carrying dangerous debris through the air, city officials said. Members of the public were advised to stay inside and avoid unnecessary travel.
Mahan urged residents to sign up for alerts from the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management, and noted that the website for signing up can be found by searching online for “alert SCC.”
People receiving information via those alerts “can be a good friend and neighbor by sharing it with others” and posting it on social media, Mahan added.
Keller said Valley Water is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a flood-control project for the Guadalupe River area around West Alma Avenue, with construction scheduled to take place from 2028 to 2032.
