Chico hit with more than 4 inches of rain…
Chico hit with more than 4 inches of rain overnight
A 24-year-old woman from Sacramento was "shaken up" but did not appear to be injured after the Toyota Celica she was driving crashed Tuesday, April 2, 2019, in the grass between the Skyway offramp and Southgate Ave on northbound Highway 99 in Chico, California, said California Highway Patrol Officer Michael Warner. She said her car started "fish-tailing uncontrollably" before the crash. The CHP officer noted that the weather was a factor and recommended people slow down. "Just because the speed limit is 65 (mph) doesn't always mean it's safe to go 65. We'd like to see people drive where it's comfortable and safe. Sometimes if that even means 55 — 10 mph below the speed limit — that's fine with us," Warner said. (Dan Reidel — Enterprise-Record)
By Chico Er |
PUBLISHED: April 2, 2019 at 9:40 pm | UPDATED: April 3, 2019 at 11:29 am
CHICO — A thunderstorm Tuesday pounded Chico and the surrounding area, dropping more than 4 inches of rain, plugging gutters and prompting a tornado warning.
"A bad thunderstorm in the tropics" is how Chico meteorologist Will Farr described the storm that dropped hail and lit the skies with lightning.
In north Chico, the Western Weather Group's gauge measured 4.07 inches for the midnight-to-midnight measurement on Tuesday, Farr said.
During the thunderstorm, 3.87 inches of rain fell, Farr said, and between 7:45 and 8 p.m., the storm dropped 1.07 inches of rain at the forecasting company's headquarters near Cohasset Road and Highway 99, he said.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning, and Farr said he was surprised there was not a tornado that came from the thunderstorm.
"There was good rotation, but it wasn't tornadic," he said Wednesday morning.
However, in south Chico near the Chico State University farm, only .12 inches was recorded, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Emily Heller.
Several streets were closed by flooding in north Chico, while Chico Junior High School was closed Wednesday. Several classrooms were flooded, but the school hoped to reopen on Thursday.
Social media was alive with videos of flooding streets, hail on Chico's west side, and cars plowing through intersections that resembled rivers. Hail the size of quarters was reported, with backyards looking like winter scenes.
Wednesday is expected to be dry, but another storm is due in Thursday, with heavy rain expected Friday afternoon into Saturday, according to Heller at the National Weather Service.
Both areal and flash flood warnings were issued by the National Weather Service Tuesday night for the city of Chico.
The National Weather Service issued flash flood and flood warnings for west central Butte County that were lifted by Wednesday morning.
Around 7 p.m., a Doppler radar indicated a strong storm producing heavy rain and some hail across the area. Two to five inches of rain had already fallen by 8:30 p.m. Due to the heavy rain, visibility was very poor for those driving in the city of Chico.
Many areas experienced heavy street flooding Tuesday night. As much as 2 feet of water was reported on Pillsbury Road between Cohasset Road and East Avenue around 8 p.m. Water also covered most of Cohasset Road from Highway 99 to the airport and flooded many of the streets in that area.
When approaching flooded areas, remember to turn around, don't drown. The National Weather Service urges people in warned areas to move to higher ground, and those who live along creeks or streams to take immediate precautions to protect life and property.
A 24-year-old woman from Sacramento was "shaken up" but did not appear to be injured after the Toyota Celica she was driving crashed Tuesday in the grass between the Skyway offramp and Southgate Avenue on northbound Highway 99 in Chico, said California Highway Patrol Officer Michael Warner.
Warner told the CHP her car started "fish-tailing uncontrollably" before the crash.
Warner noted that the weather was a factor and recommended people slow down.
"Just because the speed limit is 65 (mph) doesn't always mean it's safe to go 65. We'd like to see people drive where it's comfortable and safe. Sometimes if that even means 55 — 10 mph below the speed limit — that's fine with us," he said.
On Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the Nord community north of Chico into the Hamilton City area in Glenn County. Residents were advised to stay inside.
5PM – Tornado Warning in effect for portions of Butte & Glenn Counties until 5:45PM. If you are in Hamilton City or Nord, take shelter now! #CAwx pic.twitter.com/qOycI4yOvH
— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) April 2, 2019
The warning expired at 5:45 p.m.
***This storm has weakened, and the tornado warning has been allowed to expire. However, accumulating hail, heavy rain, & localized flooding are still possible.***
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