Atmospheric rivers hammer California, causing extreme rainfall, heavy wind and flooding

Jan. 12

The Salinas River flows near Chualar, Calif.

Nic Coury/AFP/Getty Images

Jan. 12

A house is submerged in floodwaters from the Salinas River near Chualar, Calif.

Nic Coury/AFP/Getty Images

Jan. 12

Farm equipment is submerged in floodwaters from the Salinas River near Chualar, Calif.

Nic Coury/AFP/Getty Images

Jan. 12

A closed notice hangs in the front door of the post office in Spreckels, Calif.

Nic Coury/AFP/Getty Images

Jan. 11

Water from the rain-swollen Sacramento River surrounds homes in West Sacramento, Calif.

Fred Greaves/Reuters

Jan. 11

Driftwood is washed up in front of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk amusement park.

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Jan. 11

Pacific Ocean waves break near Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz, Calif.

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Jan. 11

Pedestrians, with an umbrella, stand on a path near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Jeff Chiu/AP

Jan. 11

Caution tape blocks an access stairway toward the Pacific Ocean in Santa Cruz, Calif.

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Jan. 11

Vehicles travel on Interstate 5 over the flooded Yolo Bypass in Woodland, Calif.

Fred Greaves/Reuters

Jan. 11

A bicyclist and a dog pass a tree toppled during recent storms in Santa Cruz.

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Jan. 11

A Pacific Gas & Electric crew repairs power lines in West Sacramento, Calif.

Fred Greaves/Reuters

Jan. 10

Several people had to be rescued after two vehicles fell into a sinkhole in Chatsworth, Calif.

David Swanson/Reuters

Jan. 10

The Los Angeles River rages in Los Angeles.

David Swanson/Reuters

Jan. 10

People take photos of the Uvas Creek flooding on the road at Silva's Crossing in Gilroy, Calif.

Josie Lepe/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Jan. 10

Vehicles travel through a flooded roadway in Planada.

Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

Jan. 10

A flooded neighborhood in Merced.

Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

Jan. 10

Gulls fly above breaking waves of the Pacific Ocean in Aptos.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Jan. 10

Waves break over the seawall in Pacifica.

Shelby Knowles/Bloomberg News

Jan. 10

People walk amid storm debris that washed up on the beach in Aptos.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Jan. 10

A boulder rests inside a vehicle parked along the Pacific Coastal Highway in Malibu.

David Swanson/Reuters

Jan. 10

Along Empire Grade in Santa Cruz, fallen redwood trees cover the roadway and pulled-down power lines.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Jan. 10

A tree removal crew saw a large fallen tree blocking a part of Highway 9 in Felton.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Jan. 9

National Guard trucks drive through the standing water as the Lorenzo River overflows onto Highway 9 in Santa Cruz.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Jan. 9

A family walks along a covered bridge above the overflowing Lorenzo River near the Felton Grove neighborhood in Santa Cruz.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Jan. 9

The storm-swollen San Lorenzo River floods in Santa Cruz.

Shmuel Thaler/AP

Jan. 9

People watch the Lorenzo River from a bridge in Santa Cruz.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Jan. 9

Crews work to clear a mudslide from Highway 17 in the Santa Cruz Mountains in Scott's Valley.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle/AP

Jan. 9

Cars are submerged in flood waters in Morro Bay.

Carolyn Krueger/Reuters

Jan. 9

People arrive with their belongings at an evacuation center in Santa Barbara.

Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP

Jan. 9

Residents watch abandoned cars on a flooded street in east Santa Barbara.

Erica Urech/Reuters

Jan. 9

A house is flooded Gilroy.

Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

Jan. 9

Highway 101 is closed because of flooding in Gilroy.

Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

Jan. 9

Maisie Russo helps Tom Fredericks clean up after heavy rains swelled the San Lorenzo River in Felton.

Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group/AP

Jan. 9

A neighborhood off of Holohan Road near Watsonville is flooded.

Bront Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle/AP

Jan. 9

Streets and homes are flooded along Aptos Beach Drive near the Rio Del Mar State Beach in Aptos.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Jan. 9

Flooded streets and homes in the Felton Grove neighborhood of Santa Cruz.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Jan. 9

Marcos Brundell, who was evacuated from the flooded Old Mill Mobile Home Park, packs up his belongings after taking a nap at a disaster shelter in Aptos.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Jan. 9

Workers repairs downed power lines in Sacramento.

Fred Greaves/Reuters

Jan. 8

A tree blocks H Street near 36th Street in the East Sacramento neighborhood after powerful storms.

Sara Nevis/Sacramento Bee/AP

Jan. 8

Francisco Villanueva is lifted in a crane to assess branch removal from two homes on Capitol Avenue in Midtown Sacramento.

Sara Nevis/Sacramento Bee/AP

Jan. 8

A portion of West Cliff Drive fell into the Pacific Ocean after storms in Santa Cruz.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Jan. 8

Life guard stands were pushed to the top of Main Beach in Santa Cruz.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Jan. 6

Waves crash into a sea wall in Pacifica. California weather calmed, but the lull was expected to be brief as more Pacific storms lined up to blast into the state.

Jeff Chiu/AP

Jan. 6

People walk through a storm-damaged section of Capitola.

Haven Daley/AP

Jan. 6

Debris is piled up in front of a restaurant after the storm in Capitola.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Jan. 6

A view of the Capitola Wharf that was damaged by large waves.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Jan. 5

In this image from social media video, waves brought by the Pacific storm rush ashore in Santa Cruz.

Dane Nabal/Reuters

Jan. 5

Residents walk along a flooded street in Aptos.

Carlos Barria/Reuters

Jan. 5

A California State Parks employee walks through a damaged road at Seacliff State Beach in Aptos.

Nic Coury/AP

Jan. 5

Debris in Capitola Village after 30-foot waves and powerful tidal surges and gusty winds battered beaches, cottages and businesses.

John G Mabanglo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Jan. 5

A tree and utility pole obstruct Nicasio Valley Road after being toppled by high winds in Nicasio.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Jan. 5

Family friends remove items from the mobile home where Aeon Tocchini, 2, was killed by a fallen redwood tree in Occidental.

Terry Chea/AP

Jan. 5

A resident walks along a flooded street in the coastal town of Aptos.

Carlos Barria/Reuters

Jan. 5

Properties are flooded after rainstorms swelled Scotts Creek in Upper Lake.

Fred Greaves/Reuters

Jan. 5

Waves crash along East Cliff Drive in Capitola.

Nic Coury/AP

Jan. 5

Thomas Heins is hit by a wave while standing at the sea wall in Pacifica.

Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP

Jan 5.

Seacliff State Beach in Aptos is damaged by the storm surf.

Nic Coury/AP

Jan. 5

Residents look at the debris scattered along a beach in Santa Cruz.

Carlos Barria/Reuters

Jan. 5

A support beam from the Capitola Wharf rests inside the storm-damaged Zelda’s restaurant.

Shmuel Thaler/AP

Jan. 5

Evan Sousa, left, gets help from Calvin Drake to push water out of his flooded apartment in Pacifica.

Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group/AP

Jan. 5

Residents survey the area around a bridge and the Russian River after rainstorms threatened flooding in Guerneville.

Peter DaSilva/Reuters

Jan. 5

A California Department of Transportation crew cleans up mudslides on Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks.

Fred Greaves/Reuters

Jan. 5

A vineyard floods near the Russian River in Guerneville.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Jan. 5

Dottie Jols, 83, with saw in hand, walks along a road searching for fallen trees in Occidental.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Jan. 5

Liz Morrison and Jonathan Hunt stand outside their house after talking to an arborist about the downed tree that was blown over by high winds at the Hidden Garden Steps in San Francisco.

Marlena Sloss for The Washington Post

Jan. 5

A road crew cleans a mudslide off River Road near the Russian River in Guerneville.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Jan. 5

The Golden Gate Bridge is seen through a mix of rain and splashing bay water in Sausalito.

Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

Jan. 5

A fallen tree in Dolores Park after a rainstorm in San Francisco.

Shelby Knowles/Bloomberg News

Jan. 5

A downed gas station canopy that was blown over by high winds at a gas station in South San Francisco.

Marlena Sloss for The Washington Post

Jan. 4

People photograph a car sitting in flooded water at an underpass at Webster and 34th streets in Oakland.

Marlena Sloss For The Washington Post

Jan. 4

Dulce Gonzalez, 19, left, and sister Nathalie Gonzalez, 15, watch waves crash along the Embarcadero during a rainstorm in San Francisco.

San Francisco Chronicle/AP

Jan. 4

A man fills sandbags in Pacifica.

Haven Daley/AP

Jan. 4

Sandbags are piled up against the door of a restaurant door in Watsonville.

Carlos Barria/Reuters

Jan. 4

Lee Prince, right, along with his family and friends, disconnects the electrical power to ready his trailer to be moved to higher ground and away from the Russian River at the Mirabel RV Park & Campground near Guerneville.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Jan. 4

Crews work to remove multiple fallen trees blocking Highway 101 in Humboldt County near Trinidad.

Caltrans District 1/AP

Jan. 4

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is seen through a rain-covered windshield.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Jan. 4

A cable car travels down a street during a rainstorm in San Francisco.

Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

Jan. 4

Noah Joshlin of San Diego sits alone on the top level of a double-decker tour bus as it rains at the Golden Gate Bridge viewing area in Sausalito.

Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

Jan. 4

Residents walk along the coast near Santa Cruz as rainstorms approach.

Carlos Barria/Reuters

Jan. 4

People walk by flood barriers lining a sidewalk in San Francisco.

Marlena Sloss for The Washington Post

Jan. 4

Pedestrians walk around a felled tree in downtown Sacramento.

Fred Greaves/Reuters

Jan. 4

A traffic sign warns of inclement weather in San Rafael.

Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

Jan. 4

Vehicles travel along a highway near Santa Cruz.

Carlos Barria/Reuters

Jan. 4

A pedestrian walks along the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP

Jan. 4

A tow truck pulls a car out of a flooded intersection in Mill Valley.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Jan. 4

A partially submerged boathouse is seen on the rising Sacramento River.

Fred Greaves/Reuters

Jan. 4

High water levels, caused by storm water, flood Discovery Park, located in the convergence of the Sacramento and American rivers in Sacramento.

Fred Greaves/Reuters

Jan. 4

Cars travel along U.S. Highway 101 as the rain falls in Greenbrae.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The GOES West weather satellite captures the storm system barreling toward the West Coast.

College of DuPage

Jan. 3

A man looks at dark clouds over the San Francisco skyline.

Carlos Barria/Reuters