The first major storm of the season swept across the San Francisco Bay Area on Friday, November 13, bringing periods of moderate rain and brief, heavy downpours to San Francisco, Oakland, the North Bay, the East Bay and the South Bay — and turning one of the region's busiest freeway corridors into standing water by midday.
The worst flooding was reported in South San Francisco, where water covered the southbound Interstate 280 off-ramp at Westborough Boulevard. At its lowest point the roadway sat under about two feet of water, and flooding also reached the southbound lanes of I-280 itself, where the fast lane was underwater, KION Central Coast (CBS) reported.
Source: KION Central Coast
The California Highway Patrol reported multiple crashes involving vehicles that hydroplaned on the flooded freeway. Some cars struck the center divider, while others lost control and collided with other vehicles, according to KION's report from the scene.
Several motorists were left stranded. One vehicle ended up stuck in a ditch, and a BMW suffered engine trouble after water got inside. Its driver, Johny Godoy, told KION he had driven through despite a warning: “My girlfriend told me don't do it. I still went ahead and did it. I wouldn't have been in this situation if I listened.” Godoy said the situation was especially stressful because his pregnant girlfriend was in the car with him: “Stressed out, honestly, I've got my pregnant girlfriend in the car. A lot going through my mind right now.”
As authorities fielded nonstop calls for service, help came from a passerby. Andy Wang, who lives in the East Bay, heard about the flooding and came to the Westborough off-ramp armed with a rake, clearing trash and a bumper that were blocking a storm drain. As he worked, he encountered frustrated drivers — one cursed at him — but the drain eventually cleared and water began swirling down the opening. “I care about people even if they don't like me,” Wang said. “I just do it because it's the right thing to do.”
A ceiling comes down in the Excelsior
In San Francisco's Excelsior District, the rain damaged a home from above. An elderly homeowner was sitting in his living room on Athens Street when part of his plaster ceiling collapsed after rainwater leaked through the roof. The falling plaster struck his shoulder but missed his head; he was not injured. He faces potentially thousands of dollars in roof and ceiling repairs, and crews were working Friday to patch the roof to prevent more water from entering the home, KION reported.
The National Weather Service said a cold front was producing the rain bands through the day, with rainfall projections ranging from about a quarter-inch in the South Bay to an inch and a quarter in the coastal hills. Winds of 55 to 65 miles per hour were recorded across exposed peaks, with gusts of about 55 mph along the coast. The system was expected to clear the Bay Area by around 3 p.m., although scattered showers were likely to continue into the evening.
The storm also disrupted air travel. The Federal Aviation Administration briefly halted some inbound flights to San Francisco International Airport because of the wind, while domestic flights faced average delays of more than two hours.
High tides added to the flood risk around San Francisco, San Pablo and Monterey bays. The weather service said the tide at San Francisco was expected to reach about 1.5 feet above normal, with storm surge further increasing the threat to low-lying bayside areas, and nuisance flooding was reported in the Santa Cruz Mountains and elsewhere.
Authorities urged drivers to avoid flooded roadways and to turn around rather than risk driving through standing water. Friday's stranded drivers on I-280 are the latest reminder: even familiar commuter routes can hide water deep enough to kill an engine — or worse — within minutes of heavy rain.
Why the season's first storm floods so fast
Forecasters had warned ahead of the storm that the heaviest rain could overwhelm poor-drainage areas and cause localised flooding on roads — exactly what played out at the Westborough off-ramp, where a single blocked storm drain, choked with trash and a loose bumper, helped pond two feet of water across a freeway exit used by thousands of commuters. For the region's large Punjabi and South Asian communities — concentrated in the South Bay, the East Bay and San Francisco itself — the I-280, I-880 and US-101 corridors are daily arteries for work, school runs and trucking and delivery routes, and Friday's flooding slowed all of them.
What happens next: forecasters expect further periods of rain across the Bay Area next week as additional fronts move through the region, and a second storm in the same series is due Sunday into early Monday. Drivers are advised to check California Highway Patrol and Caltrans conditions before travelling, keep clear of flooded underpasses and off-ramps, and allow extra time on the Monday commute if standing water remains.