Northern California towns under evacuation warnings after historic rainfall

Several Northern California towns were placed under evacuation warnings on Sunday after a New Year's Eve storm brought an "atmospheric river" that drenched the region with rain and dumped heavy snowfall in some areas, reports The Associated Press.
The town of Wilton was under a shelter-in-place order due to the threat of an "imminent levee failure." Residents of the low-lying communities of Point Pleasant, Glanville Tract, and Franklin Pond were told to be ready to leave. At least two people have died from the storm which has left over 100,000 homes and businesses without power, per CNN.
Flooding closed major highways. Mountainous regions above 5,000 feet also received between 20 to 45 inches of snow. San Francisco got its second rainiest day since 1849, with 5.46 inches of rain in 24 hours. That was just under the record of 5.54 inches set Nov. 5, 1994.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A cheesy chase, a cinema on water, and more
-
Ancient India: living traditions – 'ethereal and sensual' exhibition
The Week Recommends Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism are explored in show that remains 'remarkably compact'
-
Crossword: May 30, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
EPA is reportedly killing Energy Star program
speed read The program for energy-efficient home appliances has saved consumers billions in energy costs since its 1992 launch
-
US proposes eroding species protections
Speed Read The Trump administration wants to change the definition of 'harm' in the Environmental Protection Act to allow habitat damage
-
Severe storms kill dozens across central US
Speed Read At least 40 people were killed over the weekend by tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms
-
Parts of California are sinking and affecting sea level
Under the radar Climate change is bringing the land to the sea
-
Rain helps Los Angeles wildfires, risks mudslides
Speed Read The weather provided relief for crews working to contain wildfires, though rain over a burn area ups the chances of flooding and mudslides
-
Death toll rises in LA fires as wind lull allows progress
Speed Read At least 24 people have died and 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders
-
Biden cancels Italy trip as raging LA fires spread
Speed Read The majority of the fires remain 0% contained
-
Fast-spreading Los Angeles wildfires spark panic
Speed Read About 30,000 people were under an evacuation order as the inferno spread