Storm soaks Bay Area, impacts Monday morning commute

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU AND BCN) --  There are major traffic delays for the Monday morning commute in parts of the Bay Area following the weekend storm. 

Highway 24 ahead of the tunnel is stop and go due to a crash. Meanwhile, Highway 17 northbound is closed at the tunnel due to a mudslide. 

The powerful storm slammed parts of the Bay Area Saturday night into Sunday, soaking the region and raising concerns about flooding as the rainfall drenched local rivers.

Sunday's storm brought heavy rain that downed trees and triggered mudslides. Several feet of snow was predicted in the Sierra Nevada.

Officials reported scattered flooding, including a washed out road that required the rescue of two people. Swift water teams performed rescues at a Marin County mobile home park. Authorities are watching rising water levels of several rivers, including the Cosumnes, Truckee, Merced, American and Russian.

The hardest hit areas appeared to be in the North Bay. The California Highway Patrol said northbound lanes of Highway 101 near Windsor were closed because of standing water on the roadway. The weather service issued flooding warning for the Napa River in the St. Helena area and the Russian River in Guerneville. 

In Petaluma, the city activated the Emergency Operations Center. The Lucchesi Community Center is open for emergency shelter. 

The cities of Napa, Calisotga, Yountville, and Lafayette experienced road closures. They were mostly due to flooding, but some are due to fallen trees or power lines. 

The weather also may have caused major BART delays between Balboa Park and Daly City. The delays were caused by tree branches on the track. 

The San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz and the Merced River in Yosemite Valley also saw rising waters.

Wind advisories were also in effect for the Bay Area bridges as high winds pounded the region.

PG&E reported scattered power outages with the majority of the outages concentrated in Daly City and Walnut Creek.

Stranded motorists were pulled from cars stuck on flooded roads as heavy rains from a massive winter storm moved into Northern California.

Authorities reported rescues in Marin and Sonoma counties, including an operation along U.S. 101 where several people were plucked from submerged vehicles.

No injuries were reported.

Officials urged residents to avoid driving through standing water and to stay off rural roads, where rescues could be difficult.

Crews cleared trees and debris following mudslides caused by steady rain accompanying the system that could dump 15 inches in foothill areas as it gains strength throughout the day.

Rangers at Yosemite National Park have closed all roads leading to the park's valley floor.

Authorities were watching rising water levels of several rivers, including the Cosumnes, Truckee, Merced, American and Russian.

Meanwhile seven school districts in Sonoma County have canceled classes for Monday because of the winter storm that hit the San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay areas today, officials with the Sonoma County Office of Education said.

According to information posted by school officials at 9:45 p.m., Alexander Valley Union, Cloverdale Unified, Geyserville Unified, Guerneville, Forestville Union, Harmony Union and Monte Rio Union school districts are
closed today.