These are the local news from March 11 to 17 that you need to know to stay up to date.
A green wave swept across San Mateo County on Friday as celebrations began for St. Patrick's Day, a holiday that began as a religious holiday in 1631 when the church declared it a public holiday. However, the festivities have been marred by severe weather.
Rain and strong winds have not given residents throughout the Bay Area a break, as power outages and flooding have been a problem, so authorities have urged everyone to be prepared for rain forecasts this weekend. Keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
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The St. Patrick's Day parade took place in San Francisco on Saturday, March 11, resulting in road closures and detours for downtown Muni services.
The parade took place along Market Street beginning at Second Street and ending at the San Francisco Civic Center.
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The Pajaro River dam broke during the night of Friday, March 10, prompting evacuations.
The flood barrier breached around midnight, according to a news release from the Monterey County Health Department.
Crews from the county water resources agency and the state water resources department were on the scene at the time attempting to combat flooding.
Evacuations of most of the Pajaro community were ordered just before midnight and expanded shortly afterward to include all flooded areas in the area.
National Guard high water rescue vehicles were stationed in the area to assist in the evacuation effort, which included door-to-door checks by Monterey County sheriff's deputies, Cal Fire fire crews and North Monterey County firefighters.
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The Chairman Joseph Biden He said this morning that, thanks to the swift action of his administration in recent days, "Americans can trust that the banking system is safe" and that "their deposits will be there when they need them" following the bankruptcy of SVB.
Following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank's shares last Friday, which generated uncertainty in the country's financial system, Signature Bank also reported its collapse.
"Small businesses across the country that had deposit accounts at these banks can breathe easy knowing that they will be able to pay their workers and pay their bills. And their workers can breathe easy, too," Biden said at a press conference.
The president explained that last week, upon learning of the problems facing the banks and the impact they could have on employment, on some small businesses and on the banking system in general, he gave instructions to act quickly and protect those interests.
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Approximately 16,000 residents were affected by warnings and evacuation orders due to the levee breach on the Pajaro River, Monterey County officials announced Monday.
Nearly 5,000 residents were also ordered to shelter in place in areas west of River Road from Interstate 68 south to Fort Romie Road, and Las Palmas 1 and 2 and Indian Springs.
They also encouraged residents who receive water from the Pajaro, Sunny Mesa and San Ardo water districts not to use tap water for drinking and cooking, as it may be contaminated.
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Strong winds in the Bay Area on Tuesday caused delays in arrivals at San Francisco International Airport as the Federal Aviation Administration initiated a grounding program that delayed domestic arrivals by an average of 80 minutes.
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In the wake of Silicon Valley Bank's tumultuous closure and a weekend of uncertainty that has dominated national headlines, the local impact of the financial institution's collapse in the tech-driven region was clear to the dozens of people who lined up outside the bank's Santa Clara branch Monday.
They all expected to access their accounts and keep the lights on in their businesses.
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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced to his employees on Tuesday that he was laying off approximately 10,000 people and closing around 5,000 additional vacancies that have not yet been filled.
“This will be tough, and there’s no way around it. It will mean saying goodbye to talented and passionate colleagues who have been a part of our success. They have been dedicated to our mission, and I am personally grateful for all of their efforts. We will support people the same way we have before, and treat everyone with the gratitude they deserve,” Zuckerberg said.
The businessman explained that the American technology and social media conglomerate based in Menlo Park, California, said that in the next two months, the heads of the organizations will announce restructuring plans focused on reducing the size of their organizations, canceling lower-priority projects and slowing the pace of hiring.
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High winds in the Bay Area on Tuesday afternoon downed trees and power lines across the area, including Highway 92, which was closed near Half Moon Bay.
More than 155,000 PG&E customers in the Bay Area were without power early March 14 afternoon, most of them in the South Bay and East Bay.
At least 5,000 customers were also without power in Walnut Creek, as high winds downed trees and power lines in central Contra Costa County. Most of the damage is around Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill.
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As of Wednesday, March 15, more than 450,000 California residents were reported without power during high winds and rain a day earlier, PG&E officials said during a briefing.
In the Bay Area alone, about 108,000 people remained without power as of 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Officials said it was the 38th consecutive day that the company's emergency operations center has been active, pointing to an extraordinary winter season with high levels of rain, snow, flooding, mudslides and other storm-related emergencies across the state.
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Three years after the first COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders, San Mateo County's investment during the pandemic was approximately $360 million in recovery initiatives focused on helping those most affected.
The total, the county said, includes $188 million for housing, $76 million for food security and more than $16 million in direct financial assistance for individuals and families.
In this regard, she said that financial support was also directed to small businesses, child care providers and youth programs.
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San Mateo County officials are urging residents to prepare for more rain forecast for the weekend.
For Bay Area residents, it hasn't been easy during the seemingly endless cascade of storms that began late last year. With more rain in the forecast for the Bay Area, officials are urging people to stay alert and prepare for all kinds of things that could go wrong.
Natural disasters, particularly weather-related disasters, are becoming more frequent and more costly, both in terms of lives and losses. Extreme heat is now one of the deadliest types of weather incidents in the United States, causing more deaths than hurricanes, tornadoes or floods.
The best time to prepare for any potential disaster is now, not until the lights go out or emergency managers issue evacuation orders, San Mateo County officials said.
In response, authorities have issued a guide to key local information that could help you and your family overcome an emergency, whether floods, fires, tsunamis, earthquakes or other challenges.
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