Flood — Sonoma, California

2026-01-05 · near Vacation Beach, Sonoma, California

Event narrative

A landslide impacted California Highway 116 near Monte Cristo Avenue in Monte Rio. The slide itself stopped short of the highway, but cracks developed in the eastbound lane and traffic had to be diverted into the westbound lane.

Wider weather episode

A series of storms impacted the Bay Area and Central Coast from January 1st to the 5th, causing numerous flooding impacts and scattered thunderstorms. A low pressure system on the 1st was followed by a strong cold front and associated atmospheric river late on the 2nd into the morning of the 3rd. A second cold front followed on the 4th. A tornado warning was issued on January 5 for the Pacific coast near the border between San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties due to a radar indicated rotation signature. Around 3,400 customers in San Francisco lost power on the 2nd.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (38.4777, -123.0263)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1299367. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.