Another atmospheric river has struck the Bay Area, resulting in heavy rain and high wind on Tuesday. 

Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow regions in the Earth’s atmosphere that transport water vapor – bringing strong wind and rain or snow when it strikes land, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration webpage. 

Atmospheric rivers are projected to become more severe and damaging as a result of climate change, according to a Jan. 12 Washington Post article.

This atmospheric river will bring less rain than last week, but the high wind may result in more damage, according to a Tuesday San Francisco Chronicle article. 

The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for most of the Bay Area, cautioning residents of gusts from 55 to 75 mph along the coast. 

Some cities, including San Francisco, are under a flood advisory. 

The heavy winds have caused downed trees to close roads, highways and damage property. 

The wind has also caused power outages across the Bay Area.

Tuesday’s rainfall is anticipated to reach around one to three inches of rain, resulting in low visibility and hydroplaning on heavily affected roads.

Flood

Around 16,000 residents in Monterey County have been ordered to evacuate because of the Pajaro River levee breach, according to an announcement from county officials on Monday.

The storm has caused significant flooding in Monterey County, where both Highway 1 and Highway 152 have been closed as a result. 

The breach is approximately 400 feet in width, with emergency repair work to stabilize the breach underway, according to a Tuesday announcement from county officials.

Charlie Faas, vice president for administration and finance, wrote in a campus-wide email Sunday, warning the San Jose State community of the potential impacts of the storm.

Campus administration is monitoring the evacuation orders and has warned students and faculty coming to campus from Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties to pay attention to road conditions, according to a SJSU weather advisory webpage. 

SJSU’s Moss Landing Marine Labs has been closed for the past two days for students, faculty and staff, according to the SJSU weather advisory webpage.

Wind

Gusts of wind at 39 mph hit San Jose with 93 mph wind in the interior East Bay, 71 mph in the Oakland Hills and 74 mph at San Francisco International Airport. 

Friday’s atmospheric river saturated the ground around the Bay Area, making it more likely for trees to fall because of high wind. 

Flights from San Francisco International Airport were grounded because of the wind, delaying many flights in the evening, airport officials stated in a tweet.

The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge reopened Tuesday after a Walmart truck overturned, causing a closure for several hours, according to a Tuesday San Francisco Chronicle article.

Power

The storm has left nearly 300,000 Pacific Gas & Electric Co., PG&E, customers in the Bay Area without power. 

The power outages were more severe in the South Bay and East Bay, with a total of 296,067 affected customers, according to another Tuesday San Francisco Chronicle article.

PG&E had 445 different crews working during Tuesday’s atmospheric river. Crews prior to the storm worked to remove potential hazards by cutting back trees that could fall on power lines, according to the same Tuesday article. 

The storm is forecasted to exit Northern California Wednesday.