More rain on the way after flash flooding slams Pacific Northwest
ABC News
(NEW YORK) — A series of storm systems fueled by an atmospheric river brought flash flooding to the Pacific Northwest this weekend — and more rain is on the way.
The new system will bring more heavy rain, snow, gusty winds and the threat of avalanches to the Northwest and northern Rockies on Monday and Tuesday.
Damaging winds reaching 60 to 80 mph are possible from the Washington and Oregon coast all the way inland to Montana.
The Spokane area in eastern Washington was inundated with 3 to 6 inches of rain this weekend, washing out roads. Now, the additional heavy rain could cause flooding in western Washington and Oregon on Monday.
In the northern Rockies, a flood watch has been issued for Montana and Idaho due to the snow melt and rain.
In the highest elevations of the northern Rockies, an avalanche warning has been issued after the rain and snow caused the snowpack to become unstable.
These storms are also bringing huge waves up to 34 feet to the West Coast.
(SANTA CRUZ, Calif.) — A powerful storm pummeling the West Coast churned up waves as high as 60 feet, killing one man, sweeping another out to sea and prompting multiple rescues when a pier collapsed in Santa Cruz, California, authorities said.
A series of storms leading into Christmas are expected to continue to pound the West Coast on Tuesday with heavy rain, gusty winds and giant ocean waves.
On Monday, the wild weather turned deadly in Santa Cruz when a large wave hit a man, trapping him beneath debris at a beach, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.
The death unfolded around 11:30 a.m. local time at Sunset State Beach in Santa Cruz, about 75 miles south of San Francisco. First responders managed to pull the man from the water, but he was later pronounced dead at a hospital, the sheriff’s office said. The man’s name was not immediately released.
The storm also caused the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf pier to partially collapse, according to the sheriff’s office. Three men, all members of a city crew working on the pier at the time, were thrown into the ocean, according to the sheriff’s office.
Lifeguards sprang into action and rescued two of the men, while the third worker swam to shore on his own. None of the men were seriously injured, according to Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley.
The incident lopped off a 150-foot section at the end of the pier, which was undergoing a $4 million restoration. Large chunks of the pier were left floating in the water.
Video showed one worker stranded on a piece of the pier floating in the water being rescued by a first responder on a jet ski.
The sheriff’s office also issued an evacuation order Monday afternoon for oceanfront residents along an approximately 3-mile stretch of shoreline just south of Santa Cruz, citing large swells and high tides.
The National Weather Service in the Bay Area warned that “dangerous and life-threatening beach conditions” are forecast for along the Pacific Coast through Tuesday, including rough seas and breaking waves up to 60 feet.
A separate rescue attempt occurred Monday near Monterey, where authorities believe high surf likely pulled a man into the ocean. The incident happened at Marina State Beach along the Monterey Bay around noon, according to the Marina Police Department.
“Bystanders attempted to assist the individual; however, due to extremely large waves and strong currents, their rescue efforts were unsuccessful,” police said in a statement.
Marina police officers, firefighters, U.S. Coast Guard and the California Highway Patrol launched an extensive search for the man using boats and aircraft, but were forced to suspend the rescue operation when weather conditions became too dangerous, police said. The man, who was not immediately identified, remained missing Tuesday morning.
At the time of the search, the National Weather Service estimated waves in the Santa Cruz area to be 25 to 50 feet, according to police.
High surf warnings were issued up and down the West Coast from Washington to Southern California.
The Santa Cruz Sheriff’s office said first responders also made water rescues in a harbor near Capitola, about 4 miles south of Santa Cruz.
ABC News’ Meredith Deliso and Julia Jacobo contributed to this report.
(KISSIMMEE, Fla.) — A pregnant woman who ordered pizza in Florida was stabbed 14 times by a delivery driver who police say was disgruntled over her $2 tip.
Osceola County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the Riviera Motel in Kissimmee, Florida, over reports of a home invasion and stabbing on Dec. 22, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by ABC News.
Arriving deputies located a victim, Melinda Irizarry, who was stabbed multiple times and was then transported to an area hospital.
She underwent emergency surgery for a ruptured lung and suffered stab wounds to the chest, arms, legs and abdomen, according to the affidavit.
Irizarry is currently in stable condition, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said in an update on Facebook.
Authorities identified 22-year-old Brianna Alvelo as the delivery driver and suspect in the case, according to the affidavit.
Officials say that Irizarry placed an order at Marcos Pizza Shop and 30 minutes later the suspect believed to be Alvelo arrived at their motel with the order, which totaled $33.10.
Irizarry handed the suspect a $50 bill and requested change, however, to which she was told it was store policy not to provide change, the affidavit said.
After getting smaller bills to fulfill the order, Irizarry ended up giving the driver a $2 tip. After the incident, Irizarry told deputies the driver “rolled her eyes and walked away without saying anything,” according to the affidavit.
Officials said Alvelo allegedly later returned to the victim’s motel room with an unknown male suspect — who was armed with a firearm — and “forced their way into the room.”
Alvelo, who deputies say was armed with a knife, attacked the victim and stabbed her 14 times, according to the affidavit.
Police say items were also taken from the motel room in the invasion.
Alvelo was arrested on home invasion with a firearm, attempted murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault violations, according to the affidavit.
Officials say the unknown male suspect is still at large and request anyone with information regarding the case to contact Crimeline at (800) 423-8477.
(SPOKANE, Wash.) –A 40-year-old man attacked a priest during a church service in Spokane, Washington, on Tuesday night, according to officials.
Around 350 to 400 people had gathered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes in downtown Spokane on Tuesday for the second night of novena, a tradition of gathering for prayer for nine days or nine weeks, when the man, identified as Joshua James Sommers, allegedly attacked the priest.
Security camera footage shows Sommers leaving his pew, rushing up to the altar near the end of the service and attempting to strike Rev. David Gaines in the face. Gaines was able to pin down Sommers, with other staff and churchgoers running up to help.
In the footage, Sommers lets out screams, and Gaines continues to say, “It’s OK, just calm down.”
Security guards quickly came to assist, and the Spokane Police Department was also notified immediately of the incident, according to the church. Gaines was not harmed in the attack.
Father Darrin Connall, who was kneeling at the altar when the attack occurred, told ABC News the church has not seen “anything quite this serious.”
“All of us were pretty shaken,” Connall said. “You don’t expect to see something like that when you’re gathering together to pray and worship.”
Once Sommers was escorted out by police, Connall said the entire group stopped the service and prayed for him.
“Whatever demons he was struggling with needed to be healed,” Connall said.
Sommers was arrested on misdemeanor assault charges, and also has a previous record of harming others. In 2023, Sommers was charged with third-degree assault after attacking an employee at a mental health facility. Sommers, who was a patient at this facility, allegedly punched the employee multiple times and stole their keys to try and escape, according to the affidavit on those charges.
Sommers appeared in court Wednesday on assault charges, along with the outstanding warrant from his previous assault. He will return to court later this month and remains behind bars.
ABC News’ Irving Last and Jennifer Watts contributed to this report.
