Storm-battered California could get more rain

The remnants of a historic storm left nearly 50,000 homes and businesses in California without power on Monday as residents braced for an onslaught of more severe weather that could bring up to 8 inches of rain to some areas and trigger additional flooding and mudslides.

The battered state faces another “atmospheric river” later this week, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.

The latest storm is expected to sweep through Northern California before plunging into Southern California on Tuesday. Rainfall could reach 1 inch in some areas, according to AccuWeather forecasts. This will be followed by an even more powerful storm about to hit Northern California late Tuesday night and Wednesday.

“The slow-moving nature of the storm and its humidity will bring several hours of moderate to heavy rain,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Joe Lundberg.

1 DEATH IN CALIFORNIA:Storm hits San Francisco, causing power outages

►This all comes after downtown San Francisco recorded 5.46 inches of rain on Saturday. It was the highest single-day total in more than 28 years and the city’s second wettest day in 174 years of record-keeping, AccuWeather reported.

►In the Sierra Nevada, snowfall of 6 to 12 inches is likely with locally higher amounts on the mountains – lots of snow but much less than the few feet that fell on Saturday.

►California isn’t alone in preparing for treacherous weather. A winter storm rolled through the Midwest on Monday and Tuesday with patches of heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain, the National Weather Service warned. Gusty winds will bring blowing snow and snowdrifts, resulting in reduced visibility and difficult travel, the weather service said.

►Further south, a strong cold front will bring the threat of thunderstorms with tornadoes, damaging winds and excessive precipitation.

Up to 8 inches of rain possible north of San Francisco

San Francisco and some nearby coastal areas could see another 2 to 4 inches of rain, while just north of the Bay Area could see precipitation totals as high as 4 to 8 inches, according to AccuWeather. The Los Angeles area could see up to 2 inches of rain. The storms will bring “elevated risk of dangerous and possibly fatal flash flooding and landslides,” particularly in northern and central California, AccuWeather said.

The Rintaro restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission district was submerged by more than a meter of floodwater on Saturday, owner Sylvan Mishima Brackett told local ABC-TV affiliate.

“We had half of us standing on the tables, the rest of us inside. At one point we couldn’t do anything but evacuate. I asked people to queuing, jumping in chest-deep water to wading through the streets – crazy,” he said.

Sacramento area beleaguered by floodwaters

Flood warnings and watches remained in effect in the Sacramento County area, where widespread flooding and levee failures inundated rural roads and highways. Flooding caused by excessive rainfall and floodwaters from the Mokelumne and Cosumnes rivers could quickly inundate some areas, the National Weather Service has warned. Residents were urged to monitor subsequent forecasts and prepare to evacuate, the weather service said.

Emergency crews rescuing motorists on Sunday found a dead person inside a submerged vehicle near Highway 99, said Dan Quiggle, deputy fire chief for operations for the United States Fire Department. Cosumnes Community Service District at The Sacramento Bee.

Lower Mississippi Valley Could See Tornadoes, Hail

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center issued an enhanced risk warning for severe thunderstorms over the lower Mississippi Valley Monday through Tuesday morning. The dangers associated with these thunderstorms are frequent lightning, violent gusts of stormy winds, hail and a few tornadoes, the center said. On Tuesday, the threat of severe thunderstorms and excessive rainfall shifts eastward, the center said.

Contribute: The Associated Press