A freeway in Arizona is closed due to a hazardous spill
California Highway 101 and Northern California Flood Warnings from a Superstorm with An Intense Rainfall Over Saturday and Sunday Through the San Lorenzo River
The famed US Highway 101, one of the main routes to and from California, is closed for the time being because of the flooding caused by the heavy precipitation and snow melt.
The California Highway Patrol said earlier that the road was closed in both directions in South San Francisco. The water is not going to be able to be budged by the high tides and non-stop rain, so there is no estimated time of reopening.
The California Department of Transportation also advised of a partial closure of Interstate 80 near the Nevada line midday Saturday “due to multiple spinouts over Donner Summit.” Driving through the mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada range has required tire chains for much of this month due to heavy snowfall.
A strong storm that brought widespread heavy rain Friday through Saturday, creating a flood threat for much of Northern and Central California, is nearing unprecedented levels.
There is a 9 hundredth of an inch away from the record for the midnight to midnight period, according to the National Weather Service.
An atmospheric river is a long, narrow region in the atmosphere which can transport moisture thousands of miles, like a fire hose in the sky. This heavy rainfall will slide southward to Southern California on Saturday and Sunday, accompanied by gusty winds of 30 to 50 mph.
Several small communities in northern California were under evacuation orders and warnings Saturday due to flooding. Three communities were told to leave by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office due to flooding and officials ordered Paradise Park and the surrounding area to leave due to rising levels of the San Lorenzo River.
The Santa Rita Creek prompted the Monterey County sheriff’s office to issue a warning for neighborhoods near it on Saturday.
“Rising water has made roads impassable in the area,” Sacramento County officials said on Facebook, urging those who were already on the road to head to safety and those who were home to “stay at home.”
The state of emergency was issued by the county on Saturday and it said the winter storms have caused transportation impacts, rising creek levels and flooding.
A flood watch for more than 16 million is in effect including the entire Bay Area and Central Valley though Saturday night. Saturday evening’s rain may be less than in the next three years.
The last week has seen 2 to 4 inches of rain in Northern California and the central California coast. The cumulative effects of multiple Pacific storm systems are making impacts such as flash floods and landslides more likely.
“If you have to travel, use caution. There are a lot of flooding and other weather impacts in the city, so crews are working through them.
A section of the main freeway that goes through the southern Arizona desert and links the state’s two biggest cities remains closed outside of Tucson on Wednesday, one day after a deadly crash.
Residents within a half mile of the crash on Interstate 10 southeast of downtown Tucson were ordered to leave, and those within 3 miles were told to shelter in place after liquid nitric acid was determined to be leaking from the truck tractor pulling a box trailer, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said. The acid sent up eerie yellow and red plumes over the asphalt roadway that runs through dry land scattered with scrub brush.
A 1-mile shelter-in-place order was lifted Tuesday night, but officials reinstated it early Wednesday morning, saying more nitric acid was released as crews tried to remove the load and later expanded the perimeter. Area residents were told to turn off heaters and air conditioning systems that bring in outside air. The area would be monitored to assess the need for possible changes to these orders, officials said, noting that those who evacuated should expect to be displaced until midday.
The weather temporarily impeded hazardous material recovery and mitigation efforts overnight. Officials said that the material had been removed from the truck, and crews were using dirt to stop more nitric acid from being released.
The Accident-Induced Burning and Recovery of a Fueled Autonomous Freight Train in Ohio After the Feb. 3 Fragmentation
There are areas that were evacuated, including the University of Arizona Tech Park. The Arizona Daily Star reported that some schools in Rita Ranch sheltered in place. Several schools were closed on Wednesday.
The website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that nitric acid has a bad smell and can be yellow or red in color.
If someone develops respiratory problems due to being in contact with gas for more than 15 minutes, they should get a medical evaluation. They said that symptoms could be delayed up to 24 hours.
It is possible that people within a mile of the accident could have been exposed to the material for more than 15 minutes, according to health officials. The people who drove past the accident or simply drove through it should not have been affected.
This hazardous crash comes as Ohio residents continue to raise concerns about the release of toxic chemicals on board a freight train that derailed Feb. 3 and left 50 cars in a fiery, mangled mess. There were no injuries and the area was ordered to be evacuated. Residents are worried about the potential health impacts from the wreckage.
