when it rains, it pours. we want rain, but we don't want it all at once. >> it rained in my house and it's going to cost a lot of money to fix. >> with how saturated, it's not going to be uncommon for trees to come down, power lines down, power outages. ♪♪

and this midday we are on storm watch. good morning. thank you for joining us. i'm scott mcgrew. >> i'm laura garcia. a reminder, you can also watch us live on roku, amazon fire, apple tv, and online. this is what the radar looks like right now. most of the bay area seeing a bit of a lull in the rain, but the brunt of the storm is still on its way. we want to go right now to a news conference that is under way with state leaders. we're standing by for that. let's talk more about this right now. >> well, we have crews all over, fanned out around the bay area as our coverage kicks off. we begin with meteorologist kari hall. kari, right behind your shoulder there, people online saying that weather pattern looks an awful lot like a hurricane, but of course it's not. >> right. it's a cyclone, a large area of low pressure. but it has dropped explosively over the past hour and 24 hours,

we've seen quite a bit of this formation and this storm coming together. it's also tapping into a deep subtropical moisture connecting all the way to hawaii and that's enhancing the rainfall as the storm system moves closer. we can see the waves of rain coming in and there are some breaks here. not all of us are seeing the breaks, but we are seeing a lot in the way of some lighter rain that's moving through right now. and we are expecting it to pick up as we go into this afternoon. we are seeing mostly scattered showers right now as we, for the most part, measured about 1/10 to 1/4 inch of rain. we are also bracing for the brunt of the storm that's going to be coming in at 4:00 to 5:00 this afternoon in the north bay and spreading across the bay area this evening. we'll talk more about the impacts that's coming up in a few minutes. >> thank you. now, we have cameras everywhere. this is a pg&e press conference in fremont, delivering an update

about that winter storm. let's listen to this fellow. >> aaron is our vice president of our bay area region. he'll correct me if i'm wrong, but that's san francisco, san mateo, alameda and contra costa counties, a pg&e veteran. aaron has a lot of experience and is going to talk about pg&e's preparedness, what we've done from the previous storm, what we're looking at with the incoming storm, and just share some updated information. so, with that, let me bring up aaron. >> i'll see if a notepad can hold up to the wind. so good morning and thank you for being here. my name is aaron johnson. i'm a regional vice president here in the inner bay area and i want to talk to you about the weather event we're preparing for today. so we're really looking at an unprecedented weather event, levels of rain that are reaching

historical levels, and we are very ready as a company and we hope that our customers are getting ready for this weather event as well. so first let's start with the weather. again, as i mentioned, an unprecedented weather event, a series of storms coming off the storm that happened over new year's and we're looking at the storm that's coming here today and tomorrow, and then a series of storms, at least two more, right after that. so a lot of rain, a lot of weather here in the bay. first of all, coming off the new year's storm, that storm affected almost 500,000 customers, almost all but a handful of those customers have been restored to power, except in those areas where we have access. this storm, we are expecting similar amounts of rain, and as you can see, a lot more wind than the last event. >> we'll continue to monitor what is going on with pg&e. they have been trying to restore

power to the area. now we hear a news conference from state leaders right now on the strong winter storm. let's listen in. >> to respond quickly if the power goes out, and make sure that they provide the needed support to the most vulnerable. we thank the first responders and emergency personnel up and down our state for their work this past week and we acknowledge that much moree wor remains to protect the communities from the storms aheaead. beforere i turn it over to the next speaker, i would like to briefly remind californians on the steps you can t take to hel yourselves and your families be safe. first, stay informed. signgn up for emergency alerts your county. have a family emergency plan and know your emergency evacuation routes. check on famamily members and

neighborors and always follow t direction of your localal authorities. if you are told too evacuauate, please d do so o immediately. we'll continue to provide updates as we have them. we'll get through these storms. and now i would like to hand it over to our california natural resources agency secretary. >> thanks s so mumuch, director ward. on behalf of governor newsom's cabinet, i want to welcome you to working here at the state level in california. we are s so thrilled to have director nancy ward in this position leading the governor's office of emergency services and the decades of experience you bring, of course, following in the footsteps of director gucci. california is an extraordinary state and we expererience extraordinary weather. as californians, we're

accustomed to big w winter stor that come off the pacific. when i moved to the state almost 30 years ago, i recall being amazed at the intensity of these storms. at the same time, we know t tha climate change is superer chargg this extreme weather.. we find ourselves in the third year of an intense drought, an in facact the last three years have been the driest three-year period in the state's history. at the same time, of course now we navigate this series of atmospheric rivers. it's important to point out that while we are experiencing heavy snowfall and a lot of rain, we are still very much in the drought. given that it's football season, i'll use a metaphor. we're still in the first half of the game. we've got major points on the board in terms of precipitation, snow and rain that will be helpful in coming dry months, but we're a long way from understanding how this wet season impacts our overall drought. and of course the issue at hand, the topic, the challenge of

today and in coming days is to utilize our well-organized, long established and heavily drilled framework of flood emergency response. we are here at the state emergency operation center, of course the nexus for responding to all manner of emergencies in the state, and here at the operations center, we're working closely with our state and federal flood operations center, also based in the sacramento region. they're really the experts in understanding the hydrology of these storms and how they're impacting flood risks. an important point of connection between local authorities that in many cases and many places are responsible for flood control infrastructure like levies and connecting those local authorities with the state and the federal agencies. this network, this organization that we're part of is really focused on two things right now. one is being prepared for emergencies as they evolve today and in coming days. we have pre-positioned equipment

across the state and we are working with all manner of law enforcement agencies, as you'll hear, to be ready for those emergencies. and we're addressing challenges or problems that we have experienced from the last storm just a couple days ago. let me give an example. here in sacramento county, the breaching of agricultural levies along the river created a major flooding challenge and the closure of highway 99. sacramento county is out in that area today working to close that breach and impact or protect the local area for copping storms. and the department of water resources, which you'll hear from in just a moment, is out there providing technical assistance and helping to oversee the work. so we're preparing for what we can expect to come here over the next day and days, and we're focused on emergency response to challenges that have already happened. so i'll just repeat director ward's admonition to everybody out there.

everybody has a role to play in terms of keeping yourself safe, keeping your family safe and your community safe. number one, stay dry, stay safe, and stay at home, if possible. during the height of these storms, the safest place to be is off the road and at home. number two, be prepared. particularly for power outages given the high winds and saturated soils. so have those candles and the flashlights. charge the cell phones, be ready for extended power outages. pay attention to your local authorities, including signing up for alerts. and then, thirdly, check up on your neighbors. particularly your vulnerable neighbors, your elderly neighbors, folks that may be bound in home. really important that we helpp each other stay safe during this drought.t. i'i'm going to turn it o over no the woman who leads our key agency on flood response -- >> we will continue to monitor what is going on in sacramento, talking about the storms that are hitting really the entire

state and the precautions and the steps they're taking to try to prevent more damage. we've already seen so much. >> we really have. we are streaming that, if you're interested, on our website, nbcbayarea.com. the brunt of the storm is still hours away. we have new video showing damage in walnut creek. you see at least two trees falling and blocking sections of the westbound lanes of pleasant hill road at holland drive. the chp and crews are on the scene working to clean that up. lots of runoff as well from the rain pooling on the roads. >> a neighborhood that flooded badly during saturday's storm is trying to prevent the same kind of damage during tonight's storm. >> nbc bay area's bob redell is out there live in danville. bob, the city is still cleaning up. >> reporter: it turned into a muddy river, according to residents on saturday. it actually flooded --

>> it appears that his live shot there itself is freezing up a little bit. so we'll try to see if we can establish a better one with bob this morning. already, the storm cleanup continues there, just from this weekend, and now into today in preparation for what's going to happen this afternoon. >> that's right. so we're going to go next live to san francisco, moments ago there was that rush to prepare. >> our entire nbc bay area news team posting updates on the storm, including damage throughout the day and key road closure information. you can follow us at nbc bay area on twitter. >> if your power goes out, your phone can connect you to all the information we have. the nbc bay area app can zoom down to where you live and give you the latest weather information. it's a great way to keep connected to the flow of information coming out of our newsroom and it's free.

man: i'm not slslowing down anynytime soon.n. that's why i i take osteteo bi-flex x every day. itit's clclinically s shown to impmprove jointnt comfmfort in 7 d days, and cocontinues toto imprprove over t time. kinda lilike us. and cocontinues toto imprprove over t time. osteo bibi-flex. because e i'm mamade to m.

taking you back live to sacramento this morning where state leaders continue to deliver updates on the strong winter storm. >> so if you are in an area that has burned recently, again, we urge you to stay connected with your county oes. these kinds of events can trigger mudslides and significant debris flow. so be ready to evacuate as needed. in our flood operations center, we communicate multiple times a day with local flood control districts. we this dispatched flood fighting materials at 49 sites throughout the state. those local flood control districts monitor their levies around the clock, 24/7. and as soon as they see a problem, they report that up to the flood operations center. we report it to the state operations center to ensure that we have all the materials that we need. so if there's any flood control district that needs materials,

need to communicate with the flood operation center, we're there and we are all ready to help you. with that, i'm going to turn it over to the california department of transportation. >> thank you. good morning. i'm the director for the california department of transportation. at caltrans, safety is our top priority for the traveling public. we're asking the public right now that if you don't need to be on our roadways, we're asking you to stay home, avoid nonessential trips, at least until the peak of the storm subsides. caltrans has activated our 12 emergency operations centers throughout the state. we are monitoring the storm as we speak right now. we have over 4,000 crews that have been deployed and are working 12-hour shifts around the clock to address any flooding, mudslides, rockslides,

anything that may impact t the traveling publilic. we're placing our equipment and many of our r resources in crcritical locations so that we can be very quick and nimimble react and recover very quickly. we're also monitoring various bridges throughout the state for the water levelss andnd the flo. if you do have to travel, i will say before you travel, caltrans has several options for you to obobtain real t time traffic information and road closusure ininformation. we have a mobile app called quicick map. ii urge everyone to download it. it worksks on any smartphone. it prorovides you push notifications of any road closures or traffic concerns and it will give you the reall time informatation if a roadway is closed or opopen. i will say working closely with our partners at the california highway patrol, we will be prproactivelyy closing roadways

wewe feel the conditions arere unsafe. so we urge the public to please be patient, utilize our quick map app for more information, and as has been mentioned previously, i will say if you can, stay home, stay dry, and stay safe. now i would like to introduduce the director for the department of social services. >> thahank you andnd good morni. kimm johnson, california department of social services. the california health and human services agency, along with departments and offices, have proactively engaged in preparation for the upcoming events. cal hhs has partnered to make sure those most in need, those with disabilities, older individuals and unsheltered individuals are engaged and have access to services. the department of sococial services is prepared to work a along side local papartners and the a american red cross to establish shelters. please note that all are welcome at these shelters and no

identification is required. the department of social services is engaging with operators of the facilities we license, including child care programs, childrens' residential programs and adult and senior cacare settingngs to ensure thal are prepared. the department of public health also continues to monitor skilled nursing facilities to ensure they have what they need. facilities in homes licensed b thee state of california are required to have emergency plans that include what they will do, where they will go if it's necessssary to evacuate, howow will get there, and a additiona considerations. the people working in these settings know what to do to keep residents safee from harm. if you are concerned about the well-being of a loved ones residing in a long-term care setting, the statewide long-term care ombudsman crisis line is available 24/7 at 800-231-4024. the department of public health, which also licenses health care facilities is also prepared to deploy regional staff to support

hospitals and health care facilities to evaluate impacts. the emergency medical services authority is prepared to monitor access to emergency medical services and deploy ambulance strike teams. the department of health care access and information is prepared to deploy structural engineers to health care facilities and to evaluate impacts. and finally, the california department of managed health care requires california health plans to help victims of natural disasters, including earthquakes, wildfires and floodings, who are experiencing problems obtaining health care services. this could include speeding up approvals for care, replacing lost prescriptions and i.d. cards, or quickly arranging health care at other facilities if a hospital or doctor's office is not available due to the disaster. if you are having a problem obtaining services or assistance from your health care plan, you can contact the help center at

188-466-2219, or visit www.healthhelp.ca.gov. the california health and human services also encourages you to visit www.chhs.ca.gov to find the california health and human services emergency resource guide, which includes numerous resources you may access to meet your needs and the needs of your community and loved ones. at this time, i will turn it over to the california highway patrol. >> good morning. i'm the acting commissioner for the california highway patrol. first responders throughout the state are preparing for the storm that is coming up on us today and the ones that will roll in in the near future. as stated by our partners, we encourage everyone to stay home, if possible. we have safety trips. check your tires, make sure you

have significant tread, that you can travel safely and your tires are inflated properly. if you live in a snowy area, carry chains or have studded tires. windshield wipers have often overlook, so it's important to check those and make sure they're in good continue before the storm. i'll remind you of the requirement to activate your headlights when your windshield wipers are on. there are two main factors we see in crashes, speed and following too close. your ability to safely stop and avoid hazards or collision is drastically reduced on wet or icy roadways. so, please, slow down, take your time, leave plentnty of space between your car and the vehicle in front of youou. leave early, plan for delays, and allow a litittle more time arrive safely. please, please, p please do not ignore road closure signs or attempt to cross flooded

roadwaways. thisis is extremely dangerous a an unnecessary risk. as little as 12 inches of water can cauause a vehehicle to star float. add to that a slight current from floodwaters, and you could be pushed off the roadway into deeper water, creating a trurue life-threaeatening emergency. this can be avoided, but not attempting to drive -- by not attempting to drive through flooded roadways. if you have vulnerable family, friends or neighbors, we remind you to check on them. if you need emergency services or first responders, call or text 911. ouour dispatchers will deploy first responders to your krooen. the chp will have every resource committed for the safety of those traveling on california's roadways.

>> we would like to open it up to questions. >> you mentioned the levy. where is that, near the wilson area, or along highway 99? >> let me bring up carla from the department of resources and we may have to refer you to somebody from the regionanal office on the specific location. >> so i don't know preciselyly where, but we can get that information. but we are out today, the department of water resources is providing technical assistance and oversight. as you know, it's raining out there, we're droppining a lotot rock to deal with that breach. it's not likely that these repairs are going to eliminate potential additional flooding on 99, just given where we are. so we just urgrge everyone to te caution. i'll make sure that we can get back with you on that precise location. >> do you have a warning for people? there hasn't been an official

flood warning out? is there a heightened concern going into this storm? >> so those warnings come out at the local county office of emergency services and we keep track of those warnings that are out. so sacramento county does have a flood warning for everybody in that area. >> director ward, if you could speak to how the emergency proclamation helps make the response easier for the state. >> it expands authority and protocols so waivers f for drivers' hours. gosh, i should have my attorney come up here and specicifically tell you all of this. that's okay. yeah, power crews, it allows out-of-state resources to come into t the state, environmental

typess of expanded authoritity. it provides t the calalifornia disaster assistance a act to be implemenented, if necessary, w h is a funding sourcrce frorom th governor's office of emergency services to infrastructure damages to our county. so it's just a compendium of waivers and authorities. fuel, additional fuel trucks, those kind of things that typically a are regulated muchh more heavily withohout a statat emergency. >> and we heard therere's a ran of concerns witith this atmospheric river. is there any one concern that trumps all? is it flooding, is it the wind, or is it all of the above? [ laughter ] >> yes, as carla mentioned earlier, with the saturation of the water, it's not going to take much to overwhelm communities and to have fast-flolowing rivers and tributaries and they're going to rise quickly. and the nexext stormrm comes, w

just at that much higher rate. and the next storm comes, and we'ree just at that much higher rate. it doesn't take much, as you consecutively get the water through the samame areas. so i gueuess i would say that we're worried about a storm hovering much too long because we're just so saturated. >> i'm wondering where we are on efforts to clean up the c curre debris from the former storm. [ inaudible ] >> i would say that's a local emergency management coordination with their,r, you know, maintenance crews and that. so i would say that, including me driving araround, t that the a bit overwhelmed. and so i think it will take a little bit, but they're going to be busy for quite some time.e. i agree witith you. and probably will be adding on crcrews as we go. >> can you talk about what infrastructure you may be most concerned about? is it dams, is it levies, is it

something else? and talk morere about what's beg done to fortify them. >> sure. so i i think the most vululnera placeses in calififornia right are rural levies. they are notot required to m me the same standards ass the levis that protect our more urban communities. this is the most powerful set of storms since 2017. the state of california has invested $370 milillion in deferred maintenance that we understood at that time, and in addition to that, combibined local, state and federal investment in urban flood control levies, has been $1.85 billion. so you get a sense of a lot of activity has happened, and that is the time to ready ourselves, when we have much dryer conditions. but it really is those rural levy areas that i think pose the greatest risk. as i mentioned, in terms of

large facilities, here in the sacramento area, the state and federal and local governments have a $1.85 billion flood protection project under way around the levies here after the flood in 1997. we're partway through construction there, which is terrific. it's these kinds of events where we know it puts the system to the test. up in the sacramento valley, that's a part of california in 2005, the legislature upgraded flood protection needs to 200-year flood protection, and that's a part of california in the central valley that's very flood prone that had deep flooding problems in 1997. they were the first part of the state to achieve the 200-year flood protection. hundreds of millions of dollars of investment. so we're making good progress. but when we have these kinds of

systems, it's very easy for smaller communities to get overwhelmed, and i think the best thing that we can all do, and what we think about when we think about flood protection, is you can't protection against everything. stay off the roads if you can. when we have high wind events, may not be a lot of precipitation but high wind events knock out power and debris that can exacerbate flooding. that's what we're asking people to do. it is more rural levee system that's the most vulnerable and lastly, i want to reiterate that those local reclamation districts do have 24/7 patrols of the levee systems so when they detect a boil, that's